By Jonathan Lehman

When I first meet people and tell them my last name, they invariably ask if it’s “Lehman” as in “Lehman Brothers.” Well, I’m not sure it was worth the failure of the global economy, but I’m pretty happy that I’m not getting that question much these days. In fact, I’m proud to have a 28-year association with the Lehman part of Austin-Lehman Adventures in my dad, Paul Lehman.

Thanks to my dad, I’ve spent a respectable number of my days here on Earth traveling to some pretty marvelous places. Being the son of someone in the travel industry certainly has its perks. Even if my education and my day job may have prevented me from taking off on every Austin-Lehman trip that I’d like to, I’ve been fortunate to participate in lots of family adventures over the years.

For as long as I can remember, my mom, dad, brother, sister and I would leave a dreary Chicago at least once a year for a destination that was either warm and exotic or majestic and a little bit chilly. At least the latter provided some aesthetic respite from the doldrums of a Midwestern winter. As I flip through the pages of the latest Austin-Lehman catalogue, it’s pretty clear that our family trips laid not only the groundwork for my dad’s passion for travel, but they seem to have an awful lot in common with today’s Austin-Lehman Family Adventure vacations. It’s exciting to know that my family’s own travels may have had a hand in inspiring an unforgettable series of Austin-Lehman family trips and, in retrospect, I don’t much mind having played the role of guinea-pig.

As soon as my little sister was old enough to ride a bike for more than a few blocks at a time, we took off for a weeklong bike trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. The countries rather flat topography and relatively short distances made it the perfect destination for a family looking to see Western Europe in a different light. Pretty much the opposite of a “Grand Tour,” our trip brought us face to face with a lot more local people, local colors, and local cows than a comparable journey involving car, train, or bus. Farm-crafted Gouda (that’s HOW-duh to those in the know) was all the more delicious and fortifying after having arrived at the dairy on two wheels rather than four. The clear family favorite was one of the well-aged varietals, and we took a pretty big hunk home to capture the memories. As Americans’ taste for cheese has evolved, a wider and wider selection is available stateside. Today I can’t pass up the opportunity to buy a wedge of aged Gouda whenever I see it at my local cheesemonger, and owe it all to a visit to a rural Dutch farm more than a decade ago.

Experiencing the Low Countries by bike allowed us to find our way off the beaten track over and over again. My personal favorite day of the trip featured a morning of biking down the main streets of small towns and along bucolic canals in the countryside, interrupted in the middle by a short ferry jaunt across the inland sea. Our destination for the evening was a small inn whose attached restaurant would by my first encounter with a Michelin star, a heady milestone for any budding gourmond. A day of grueling cycling okay, not that grueling, we didn’t encounter a single hill—made our memorable dinner of local Zeeland seafood and meats all the more justifiable.

It’s not often that you can bike across an international boundary, but that’s exactly what my mom, dad, brother, sister, and I did as we peddled towards our final destination of Bruges, Belgium. Most people show up to Bruges in a car or on the train, but you haven’t really arrived in this city rich in artistic and architectural history until you’ve peddled along its canals and over bridges that span them, gazing up at the step-gabled roofs of medieval buildings while all the while trying to steer clear of sidewalk cafes with locals eating shellfish and swilling their choice of several hundred local brews. We said our final goodbyes to our bikes in Bruges before continuing onward to Brussels and London by train, but I couldn’t help but feel that the end of the adventure portion of our trip would also signal the end of a certain way of experiencing a place and a way of life.
Families have been spending leisure time together for ages, and some version of the image of mom, dad, and the kids piling into the station wagon for a trip to Disneyland or Yosemite has been a part of our culture for as long as there’s been an American dream. But it’s worth it to stop for a moment and consider what you want out of a family vacation before booking your next ski getaway or trip to the beach. Whether you and your family are biking along dikes and past windmills, whizzing down a zip line through the canopy of a Costa Rican rain forest, climbing a glacier in Alaska, or paddling a kayak among otters and seals in the Pacific Northwest, an adventure vacation is a great way to relax, spend quality time together, and see the world around you in a new light.

In the decade since my family and I first pedaled our way across the Netherlands, we’ve visited Alaska, Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil, Thailand, and Vietnam, a lot of places familiar to Austin-Lehman travelers and some places that we have yet to discover.  While the sights, foods, language, and customs vary from place to place, the one constant in our travels has been to make sure that we always seize the opportunity to slow down and experience things close up, especially if it means breaking a little bit of a sweat in the meantime. The accompanying sense of accomplishment has been known to counter the effects of an overindulgent vacation breakfast, and the subsequent memories have kept our family, now scattered from coast to coast, in perpetual anticipation of the next opportunity reconvene and explore someplace new.

by Dennis Coello

Remember that wonderful line in the 1971 movie”French Connection,”when tough-guy detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) spits out the words “I’d rather be a lamppost in New York than President of France!”  I recall loving it and laughing with everyone else in the audience, even if most of us might have made a different choice.

Three years later, when I was cycling Europe for the first time, I remembered the movie line when thinking that I’d rather be on a bike anywhere on the Continent than trying to stay alive riding across town in the U.S.

Thankfully, things have gotten a lot better for American bikers since then, but they’ve improved in Europe as well.  There’s better signage, little bike-shaped traffic lights specifically for us two-wheelers in some towns and cities, more bike racks and bike lanes, and best of all a population that’s inherently friendly toward cyclists.  How sweet it is not to be treated like we don’t belong. 

But while almost all of Europe is better for cyclists than is the States, there’s one route that is hands-down best, the paved, mostly flat and winding cycle path that parallels the long, meandering Mosel River in western Germany.

Why best?  Well, imagine riding for a week past vineyards stretching up steep mountainsides on both banks of this clean, slow-moving river.  Picture yourself pedaling through summer sun-drenched medieval-looking towns of half-timbered houses, past Romanesque churches of intricate architecture, glancing up from your handlebars to see a castle perched high overhead and, as you turn the corner you hear a happy population of townspeople and tourists enjoying the local wine, or beer and sausages, at outdoor tables around the fountain in the town’s main square.  Believe me, it’s a blast, even if you don’t sprechen sie deutsch.  Many Germans speak very good English.

But a warning: After 200 miles of this (Austin-Lehman Adventures offers its guests choices of routes between 122 and 200 miles stretched over a week-long trip) it’s tough, very tough, to return stateside to your regular workout ride on a highway shoulder and a Big Mac on the way back home.

Let me back up some, to give you a wider picture of the country before I take you to where we’ll start our Mosel trip at the historic town of Trier.  (Uh, that’s “historic” in European terms, which means a very long time ago.  Trier, for instance, was founded,  I love telling this in 16 BC, by Emperor Augustus.)  If you’re like me, I appreciate a place more once I’ve gotten a geographic overview.

Okay,  we all know where Germany is on a map, in north-central Europe.  But quick, how big is it? Most of us know it’s smaller than the United States.  But given its prominence in world history we’e amazed to learn that it’ smaller than the single state of Montana.  In fact, you could put Germany and New Jersey into Montana (though they’ never get along), and you’ still have room for a course or two of der wiener schnitzel und der appelstrudel.  Wunderbar!

Germany is in population the largest nation in Western Europe, yet still it has just over a quarter that of the U.S. , about 82 million people.  However, it wallops us in neighbors.  We’ve got Canada and Mexico, and a bunch of fish to the right and left.  But Germany is bordered by nine nations (Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Poland, and the Czech Republic).  It’s as if the U.S. is a ranch with only a couple other big spreads barely in view across the prairie…while Germany occupies the middle unit in a condo where all the other tenants speak another language.  No wonder they’ve had such a fractious time.

And now back to the Mosel River, in the western region of Germany near its border with Luxembourg.  The river begins in a mountain range in France (where it’s called the Moselle) and runs umbilically northward, to where it flows into the larger Rhine.  More than two centuries ago ancient Rome sent its armies north over the Alps to this lovely forested and watered region, and tried to push beyond.  The “Vandals” kept them from settling for long north of the Mosel, and thus the beautiful river towns you’ll be cycling through became Roman frontier encampments, then settlements, and finally the largest of them true Roman towns with public baths, villas, roads, bridges, theaters, and of course the ubiquitous Roman vineyards, the descendents of which you’ll see today.

All of which returns us to Trier, Germany’s “oldest city,” known for housing the, most impressive Roman construction, north of the Alps.  That’s saying something, given the other Roman structures you’ll see downriver on your ride toward the Rhine.  Pedal or walk in one direction in this safe and fascinating town and you’ll come upon an amphitheater where 25,000 sandaled Romans and Germans watched bloody gladiatorial contests.  Make a U-turn and you’ll pass the huge 11th century Cathedral, then enter a Renaissance market area full of bustle and bratwursts and, amazingly (to me, anyway), turn down a street where Karl Marx was born 800 years later! 

It will require all of your two days in Trier to wrap your mind around such history, and your tongue around the local delicacies, most of which I still can’t pronounce but would recognize instantly if tasted once again.  Then comes the enjoyable river ride through picturesque Trittenheim to Neumagen, a fascinating town of Roman ruins and statues and reconstructed villas, plus (thankfully) all the modern creature comforts.

At the height of the Roman Empire a massive fortification of two enormous gates and fourteen towers existed here, something I had difficulty picturing while walking up quiet streets of flower-potted shops to a coffeehouse just after dawn the next day.  I knew I was treading the ancient Roman Road, but all seemed too tranquil for that really to have existed here, much less all the other wars between then and now.  But one obvious truth spurred me on, I needed some caffeine after the fun of the long, pre-dinner wine-tasting the evening before!

I hope you’ll have the same knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide we had during that morning’s walking tour of town, for he made the statues come alive as he told the human stories behind them.  What a transition then to leap into the saddle for more miles of sweet riverside cycling, then smack into the Middle Ages and the Renaissance!  At least that it was it felt like to stroll through the calendar-pretty and oh-so-seemingly-German town of Bernkastel, with its pointed-roof half-timbered houses, cheerful four-hundred-year-old market square, and Landshut Castle high above the wine groves stretching up the steep hills.

(By the way, “half-timbered” refers to the use of only half a hardwood tree log, like oak, which because of its strength did not require the entire log for support of a house or building.  The frame was built first and the walls filled in later, between the half-timbered structure which we still see today.)

I’ve forgotten to mention another of the pleasures of river riding, the opportunity to view from a distance the small towns across the blue water and the ferries and pleasure boats heading upstream or down.  The cycle path also provides close-up views of vineyards as you pedal past, and if you crane your neck you’ll find tiny people far above you working in the fields.  Oh, and the opportunity to converse with German and other fellow-cyclists on the car-free path.  What a great way to get around.

I didn’t think any town could surpass Bernkastel in visual delight, but the remarkable and busy burg of Cochem, with its huge and lofty castle and even larger market area of flowers and fountains, takes the prize.  It was founded in 1332, the town hall was finished in 1620, the whole place was sacked and burned by the French in 1689…and today it couldn’t look any more peaceful or pretty.

Cochem’s Reichsburg Castle is visible for miles and illuminated at night, and was easily the most resplendent castle I’d ever seen, until that afternoon.  On a pleasant break from the saddle our small group hiked for maybe a mile through a cool and green side valley of trees, when suddenly the massive medieval wonder of multiple tall, slender turrets called the Burg Eltz Castle came into view.  You’ll probably recognize it, for it’s adorned zillions of calendars and magazine covers.

I’ve run on too long, so I’ll leave it to you to fill in the blanks (during your own visit) on the remaining miles of fun riding along the Mosel to the Rhine.  In my memory it was all vineyards and blue water and high white cumulous clouds one moment, then the cosmopolitan city of Coblence (where the rivers intersect) the next.  After a week of towns and villages this burg of 100,000 seemed huge, but still imminently bike-friendly.

I wish I could close on a more positive note, but Coblence is where I made my biggest mistake of the trip, not making a U-turn for a second taste of the Mosel all the way back to Trier!

I read on our Alumni site, My ALA Adventures, that you majored in Economics.  How did you make the leap from Economics to Adventure Travel?  Was it a difficult transition?

Even though I found Economics and its big brother Mathematics to be very intriguing during my studies, it became clear that I could not see myself sit in meetings or behind a computer screen for the rest of my life. Furthermore, I did not believe in the economists, ability to forecast the future, no matter how hard they try or what they claim. The outdoors, Adventure Travel, and bicycle tours in particular, had always been my summer job. So when I was offered a “real job” in Adventure Travel upon completion of my Master’s degree, the decision and transition was very easy. I never had any regrets whatsoever.

How did you get started in adventure travel?

In 1974, a friend of my father, who lives in the U.S., started a company called Euro-Bike Tours. It’s name is self-explanatory. Since my family lived in the Netherlands, he had asked my dad to do some preparatory work for him, like scouting routes, visiting hotels, etc. I was 16 years old then. With my keen interest in travel and in bicycling, it became the perfect summer job for the next ten years.

What’s your favorite adventure experience as a guest?

When you work in the travel business like me, you’re always the host and hardly ever get to be the guest. Last year I was a guest, on a bike trip in New Zealand. The greatest thing about being a guest is: you don’t need to worry about what happens next, because the guides will take care of everything. I am not a spa person, but being on an adventure experience gives you that same relaxed feeling. All you need to do is concentrate on the activity you are participating in, whether biking or walking or kayaking or whatever, while the rest is all taken care, almost by magic! It’s that don’t worry, be happy mind-frame which takes you to a new dimension.

What’s the best thing about adventure travel?

Your question suggests there is only one best thing. I can think of a whole list, but let me concentrate on just one aspect. Adventure travel makes you forget about the rest of the world, and it brings you together with the rest of the world. Sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not. It’s something one needs to experience first-hand to be able to understand.

When you’re building a new vacation, what do you look for?

Since I built vacations in Europe, I look for the perfect mix of historic places, medieval towns which appeal to our imagination, cultural highlights whether world-famous or little known, quaint hotels, fine restaurants, ancient trails, authenticity. Also, I try to build in choices, so our guests have room to pursue their own interests. The notion of Freedom is a very important “good,” which should be nurtured.

What’s the biggest challenge you run into when scouting a new trip?

This varies from trip to trip. Finding the right hotel within a certain distance can sometimes be a challenge, although I must add that Europe is quite developed and rewarding in this respect. Finding a decent bike trail into a city can be another one, and so is the avoidance of difficult terrain. Scouting begins in the office, by reading books and looking at maps. When in the region, you need lots of patience and perseverance to find the optimal solution. Once you do, you reach that natural high. It must be a similar feeling an artist gets when he/she has created a work of art. I love it!

What suggestions can you share for helping a guest choose a perfect vacation?

All our trips are great, or we wouldn’t be offering them. However, one should be aware that there are various levels of difficulty, as clearly indicated in our catalog and on our website. Everyone will have a good time on a level 1 trip, but some might not be as happy as can be on a level 4 trip (don’t worry, the guide will nevertheless make it work). When in doubt, choose a trip that’s easier than what you think you can do. You can always upgrade next time you travel with us again.

How do you recommend travelers prepare for an adventure trip in a country they’ve never visited before?

Reading a guide book about the region never hurts. A historic novel will also get you in the mood. If you wish to brush up on your foreign languages: fine, but it’s not a necessity, especially since english has evolved into becoming the world language. Some basic words will suffice, as this creates a lot of goodwill! Once you sign up, you will see that Austin-Lehman sends you an informative and useful Pre-Trip Information Package. Be open-minded and relaxed: your guides are your friends (and translators) and will be there to help you.

What are your favorite adventure trips offered by ALA and why?

I love each one of them, for different reasons. So if a guest asks me that question (and they often do), for pure marketing reasons I always mention a trip they haven’t been on yet. Tuscany is a fantastic region, and Italy as a whole is certainly one of my favorite countries: the culture, the art, the food, and above all: the people. But then again, I can say so many good things about France, Germany, Holland. Where did you say you haven’t traveled yet?

You often guide adventures as well as handling many of the operational aspects.  What is your favorite adventure to guide and why?

Good food accompanied by fine wines are another hobby of mine. All of this tastes so much better after a day of physical motion. The Dordogne and Provence regions certainly fall in this category, and I consider southern France as my 2nd home.

When guiding a trip, what do you feel guests enjoy the most?  What do you add or share that makes a trip special?

History and stories from the region. One can’t understand the European people & culture unless one is somewhat familiar with its history. When I made my choice to study Economics, it was because I believed that my real passion History would not render a decent job (little did I know!). Well, history continues to be my passion, and I love to share this with our guests, in particular during our morning briefing. Don’t worry: I won’t bore you with dates and facts like you’re back in school, although I do take it with pride when people sometimes tell me: “You could be a great teacher!” or something in that fashion.

Installment 2 of 3

ALA has exciting news for 2009 – trips in Europe.  This began in the fall of 2008 when Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) acquired 34 year veteran of European Bike Tours, Euro-Bike & Walking Tours.  How did this come about and why did it make sense at this time?

Great question! The number one reason we first started looking at Euro-Bike as a possible acquisition was simple.  Both Paul and I have known the principles in Euro-Bike, Ron Van Dijk and Rene Hoeve, for at least a dozen years.  We had referred many guests to them and heard nothing but rave reviews. When we heard Rene was looking to retire and follow a dream to teach school, but Ron wanted to continue on as he had for so very long as the European Operations Manager, it just felt right.  We entered into negotiations that went on for several years and it became clear that Ron shared the same passion and philosophies for doing things the ALA way as we do.  There is no way we could ever add a new continent with this many trips and a high level of confidence any other way.  Now as I get to work with Ron on a daily basis I could not be happier with our decision.

Not long ago, you returned from a bike trip in Germany (Meandering Mosel Valley Biking Adventure) with your family. How was it and how did it compare to the ALA way?

While this wasn’t my first trip to Europe or even my first Euro-Bike trip, this was set up to be a true test of compatibility.  I took along my toughest critics (Carol and my 2 teenage kids, Kasey and Andy) and we joined a scheduled Euro-Bike departure.  It was amazing!  First the location and route were so well thought out, it just flowed seamlessly like we would expect any ALA trip to run.  The experience of riding a bike along the Mosel River, through the rich Mosel Valley, and from historic town to town was perfect.  Our guides Luke and Kavia could not have been better.  While this was only Luke’s 3rd year with Euro-Bike, it was Kavia’s 16th!  We also had private tours along the way, including one through the historic city of Trier.

With Euro-Bike & Walking Tours joining the Austin-Lehman Family, you’ve been able to add over twenty European trips to your lineup.  If you could travel on only one of the new trips, which would you choose and why?

As I mentioned I spend most of my time in Quality Control and Trip Development.  My next trip to Europe is coming up spring of 2009, and I will be joining Ron as we look at how we might improve a few trips to La Loire in France and Tuscany in Italy. It is going to be tough as the trips are already superb, so we will just be looking for subtle ways to improve if at all.  I will also be attending guide training in Nijmegen, Holland with Ron, and last but not least building a new trip hand in hand with Ron in the Greek Islands for 2010.

Based on your experience planning ALA trips, will you be making any changes to European programs?

Not many if any!  These trips are all tried and true.  They are as close to perfect as you can get.  Ron is a true professional and has done an amazing job building and updating trips for nearly 35 years.  What we will be doing is looking for opportunities to add a few Multisport Adventures to the long list of Bike Tours, as well as examining which trips will make good Family Bike Trips or Family Adventures.  If it isn’t broke don’t fix it.

Read the third installment of my interview with Dan about adventure trips and tips.

Read the first installment where Dan talks about running an adventure tour company.

Installment 1 of 3

Who doesn’t want to travel the world, seeking out amazing hikes along pristine trails, discovering hidden gems like gourmet restaurants nestled in mountain towns, or top-notch art galleries in small Mexican villages?  Today I am interviewing Dan Austin, Co-Founder and Director of Austin-Lehman Adventures – the man behind many exciting vacations here at ALA.

Dan, your job sounds so exciting!  You own and run an adventure travel company. Has this always been your dream job?

I was destined to be involved in adventure travel as long as I can remember.  I grew up in California and organized trips to the mountains as soon as I could drive. Shortly after graduation I headed north and ended up not getting too far, stopping in Oregon, which led to my first official involvement in Adventure Travel where I ran a small rafting company to feed my thirst for adventure.  From there I moved to Alaska (with a few other stops along the way). Anyone who’s ever lived in Alaska knows that you instantly become that friend in Alaska that helps everyone with their incoming travel plans.” That was just the case for me. I spent years creating the perfect Alaska Adventure for all my relatives and visiting friends.  It only made sense that my first new trip some 15 years ago with Backcountry Tours was Alaska.  So I guess it is safe to say this is truly my dream job and what I was destined for.

What got you started in the business?

That one is pretty simple, as I said I loved setting up trips for others and after some 25 years in construction was looking for a change. An opportunity presented itself to become a partner in an established company, Backcountry Tours, and I jumped in with both feet.

Do you get the opportunity to go on many ALA vacations in a year?

I think that is a bit of an understatement.  My role has evolved over the years to focus more on trip development, quality control and strategic planning.  So yes, I do get to see a lot of country.  Just last year I was in Panama, Costa Rica, South Africa, Germany, Holland, Alaska and Washington to name a few.  But there are some trips I just cannot get enough of. I try to get on our Yellowstone Adventure at least a few times a year.

What’s your favorite thing about adventure travel?

Honestly, it has to be the people – those I have met and will get to meet. From our great guides and staff to seeing a youngster light up at the sight of their first bear or whale on one of our adventures,  I never tire of sharing the experiences of adventure travel with others.  I have been blessed with quality travel opportunities and try and share it with as many people as I can.

Let’s talk about trip planning.  I’ve always wondered what goes into developing a new adventure.  When you’re building a new vacation, what do you look for?

That is a tough one. It varies from destination to destination.  I mean, I wouldn’t look for the same thing in a South Africa Adventure as I would in a new bike trip in Germany.  Typically I start with some level of insight or a suggestion from someone that has been there or wants to go.  In other words, we might have a past guest that says something like, “Hey Dan, why don’t you build a new adventure in Peru? We have always wanted to see Lake Titicaca and I hear it’s fabulous.”  Another time you might have a guide just come back from a personal adventure from someplace like Havasupai in the Grand Canyon and say something like, “Geez, why don,t we have a Havasupai Adventure?  It’s incredible with all the pristine waterfalls and beautiful trails and camp spots.”  Both of these examples have led to new trips.

What kind of research do you do when you decide on new destinations?

Once I get a “tip” I just start looking further into it.  Researching on the web has made trip development a lot easier, but I also use great resources like the magazine National Geographic Adventure.  I can honestly say the one thing we do not do is just knock off other tour operators.  We want each trip to be an Austin-Lehman original.  Once I have a better understanding of an area, that’s when the fun starts and a trip to the area is scheduled.  If I can bring along a guide or someone that has been there, great.  If not, I just start knocking on doors and checking out trails and rides and such.  It often takes several visits, endless hours of research, and several dry runs to get a trip where we want it.

Do you personally scout out all the new trips and destinations?

Paul and I agreed many years ago that we do not want to put guests on a trip unless one of us has run the program start to finish.  That too has evolved over the years. Sometimes we invite our Alumni to join us the first time we run a trip with guests; we call these “First Ascents.”  Typically on a First Ascent either Paul or I (or both) will have developed the trip and run it through at least once without guests, tweaking along the way.  Once we run the trip with Alumni, we look to them for good constructive feedback.  We recently ran a new program, our Washington Cascades Adventure, and got some great feedback from 9 of our Alumni.  We have improved the trip to the point it’s now one of my all time favorites.

Read the second installment of my interview with Dan covering our exciting new European vacations!

Read the third installment of my interview with Dan about adventure trips and tips.