Ecuador

 

Growing up in the adventure travel business has its perks. My father, Dan Austin, director of Austin-Lehman Adventures bought into Backcountry Bicycle Tours after taking a biking adventure in the Tetons himself, when I was six years old. From there, I led a life in Montana that was a bit different from that of my peers, although the realization of that fact didn’t hit me until I grew older. At seven, I tagged along on our company’s Yellowstone Family Tours, meeting other children and families lucky enough to immerse themselves in the world of luxury travel, learning of lives and cultures much different than my own in my beautiful backyard. By ten, I tagged along with my dad and brother southwards to the friendly lands of Costa Rica, a Mecca for families with its smiling Ticos and its “wow-inducing” wildlife. From there, I traveled along openly and willing with my dad, my partner in travel, my adventure planner, to destinations far and wide: Peru, Alaska, Germany, Ecuador, Holland, Galapagos Islands, and all over the western United States. We traveled for business, we traveled to see what lie beyond the mountains of Montana, we traveled to learn about cultures different than our own, but most of all, we traveled for the love of adventure.

All these trips share at least one thing in common, and that is my dad’s willingness to plan these adventures and his excitement in sharing the world with my brother and me. What better way to learn about people, places, relationships, connections, and cultures! This just isn’t something that can be experienced in a classroom (and this is coming from someone with a degree in Education!) As it gets easier in our schools to bring the globe to a classroom with modern technology, you just can’t replace an authentic, hands-on cultural experience somewhere outside your comfort zone. My brother and I are some of the few Montanans I’ve found who have had the fortune of learning on the road…and we’re lucky enough to keep up with this lifestyle today.

After graduating from the University of Montana in 2011, I immediately accepted an offer to work full time for the family business, despite obtaining a degree that didn’t exactly fit into the world of tourism (a backup plan is always a good thing right?) In my position in Operations I not only have the pleasure of working one on one with ALA’s top notch guide team, but I also work closely with our partners across the globe, creating and maintaining contracts and serving as the “point person” for inquiries, problems, help, and advice when it comes to creating the perfect adventure for our guests. Throughout my few years of working for ALA, I’ve still had the fortune of continuing my travels, more so now than ever – scouting new destinations, attending conferences, leading guide trainings outside of the United States, and even leading a trip or two overseas, sometimes with, sometimes without my dad.

Recently we received a visit to our Montana office from a representative of Tourism Tasmania, Karen Stotz. (If you’re not sure of where Tasmania is (like I didn’t when I first met Karen) take a peek at a map of Australia, and then look south…) While sharing with us a presentation of the beautiful state of Tasmania, Karen mentioned a conference that takes place in Australia annually, the Australian Tourism Exchange, and informed us that a familiarization trip of the area could take place before or after the conference. Before I could get two words in edge wise, my dad shot in, claiming that we would be there and all correspondence for details of the trip would come through me, the trip planner. Me? Me?! The daughter who follows her dad on his travels worldwide, letting him do all of the planning?! Alright, this could be interesting. Challenge accepted!

Stay tuned for my next post to find out about planning and executing our Australia trip!

Kasey

 

 

One of the great things about traveling to a new place is getting to try the local cuisine.  When visiting someplace new, one of the most memorable experiences you can have is to try out the local delicacies.  Combining new tastes with travel can be a great way to vividly remember your trip.  Here at the ALA office, we have sampled some pretty crazy dishes that many people would never even think of eating!

1. Smiley- One of the strangest food experiences that Dan had while visiting South Africa was trying a smiley. A smiley is a sheep’s head that is charred on a braai or grill.  The head is grilled until its lips are burned off which leaves the sheep’s head with a big smile!
2. Plátanos Maduros- While Christy was enjoying Costa Rica she also decided to try out this savory local dish also known as Costa Rican fried bananas.
3. Rocky Mountain Oysters- Melissa did not have to venture far from home to find a memorable meal.  Rocky Mountain Oysters are a Montana delicacy.  While eating cow testicles may sound crazy to you, many people in the area go crazy for them!  There are even festivals dedicated to this wild local favorite.
4. Tripe- While in Peru, Mindy decided she would enhance her experience in the country by trying one of the local dishes: Tripe.  For those of you who have not had the opportunity to sample tripe and may be wondering constitutes the meal, Tripe is animal intestines.
5. Horse Meat- In the U.S. horse is somewhat of a taboo food because of the role that they play as pets, but in many countries, this same taboo does not exist.  While visiting Holland, Jon discovered that horsemeat is a tasty, slightly sweet meat that is enjoyed by millions in Europe.
6. Pâté de Foie Gras- This delicacy enjoyed by Carol is a well-known and popular dish in France.  Foie Gras is specially fattened goose or duck liver made into a Pâté. (a spreadable paste) 
7. Alpaca Meat- Enjoyed by both the ancient Incans and Kasey, this dish is not one you can find just anywhere.  To sample this unusual meat Kasey traveled to Ecuador, one of the countries that Alpacas call home.  Alpaca meat is lean and high in protein.

As you can see, the Austin-Lehman office staff likes to indulge in the local cuisine wherever they are traveling. 

Would you ever try any of these unusual meals?  What’s the most unusual dish that you’ve been brave enough to try? Leave a comment and tell us!

Your friendly travel experts,

Austin-Lehman Adventures

Over the years my Dad has taken me on a lot of trips and I always dreamed about taking him on one. Recently I was finally able to return the favor, so where do two adventure loving, tree hugging, wildlife enthusiast, nature freaks go on vacation? Simple... The Galapagos Islands! Next up to decide was where to stay, my Dad and I are not the type of travelers that look to stay in fancy hotels. We are the type of travelers that want a unique place to stay that gives us a real sense of being in the destinations, luckily for us we got to stay at the Galapagos Safari Camp. (Photos above)

The Galapagos Safari Camp was the ultimate place to stay for us, you get to sleep in these massive safari tents far away from the city. This allows for a quiet, private and stunning location in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. This is camping in style! All the tents have showers, hardwood floors and comfy beds, with my Dad being in his sixties it was a nice alternative to the camping we use to do. 

Not to mention the amazing staff they have at the camp, we got to meet the owners Michael and Stephanie who have built this wonderful property from the ground up. It is inspiring to see their passion and love for this place. Then there's all the other smiling faces at the camp, everyone there was just too good to us and made us feel right at home. Another nice touch was every night before dinner the chef would come out grinning ear to ear and tell us about our meal. 

For activities the Galapagos was the perfect fit for my Dad and I. We got to explore volcano craters, lava tubes, snorkel and swim with seal lions, see giant tortoises and I got to surf! We both got everything we were looking for out of this trip and now we're planning our next adventure together! 

Your friendly Galapagos lover,

Jonathan

P.S. You can check out my Dad's account of our adventure here: 

Part 1: My Adventures in Ecuador

Part 2: My Adventures in Ecuador

Video: Jonathan and Jerry swimming with seal lions

 

Ecuador's slogan is "love life" and I feel like couldn't love life anymore than I do after visiting Ecuador! Our guide told us a joke about how all the other countries asked GOD why he was so overly kind to Ecuador when he created it. Because Ecuador has it all, my first day I'm ziplining through a tropical rainforest, next I'm horseback riding at 15,000ft and then mountain biking at the footsteps of Cotopaxi the worlds highest active volcano, followed by some surfing with sea iguanas and seal lions in the Galapagos. Not to mention our amazing accommodations at Tierra Del Volcan where we slept in authentic haciendas and the awesome safari tents we stayed in at the Galapagos Safari Camp. The diversity of activities and experiences that are possible in Ecuador are endless! From the flora and fauna to the beaches and volcanoes, there is such an extreme variety of microclimates, biodiversity and fun to be had. You pretty much get everything in Ecuador and it was such an amazing experience to see. Keep checking back for more photos and video from my trip to Ecuador!

I can't wait to go back to this amazing country!

Your friendly Ecuador lover,

Jonathan

My long-anticipated Adventure Vacation finally happened.  My Ecuador/Galapagos adventure started with  meeting up with my son Jonathan in Miami and we traveled the rest of the trip together as a father-son adventure.

After spending the night at Hotel Mercure in Quito, the adventure started when our personal guide Andrian from Tierra del Volcan picked us up and took us to Hacienda Santa Rita.  There, we collected the necessary gear and hiked up hill until we got to one of the seven Zip Lines the hacienda has to offer.  I was excited to try the sport for the first time.  What an adrenaline rush, thats me in the photo! 

The next adventure at Santa Rita was a hike down a canyon to a waterfall; it was a beautiful "cascada" as they call it in Ecuador.  I took several photos of it as well as the wide variety of wildflowers in the area.

After hiking back up we headed south to Hacienda El Tambo, another Tierra del Volcan property where we would spend the next two nights.  The hacienda sits at about the twelve thousand foot elevation.  There are no power lines in the area so they run there own generator for a few hours after dark, after that it is candles, then nothing.  It was already dark out when we got there; being on the equator nighttime comes just after 6 PM.  After washing up, it was time for the first of many great meals we would eat there.  During dinner we learned that the next day was “Rodeo,” one of three days each year at the Hacienda where their cattle are rounded up and brought down from the higher grazing areas to the big corral near the main house.  There, they are checked, sorted, vaccinated and eventually sent to a different area to graze for another four months. It was a great option to be able to travel sustainably to a working Hacienda.

What we thought was to be a simple horseback ride adventure the next day morphed into our essentially being issued a horse, boots, chaps and a wool poncho.  We were invited to help with the cattle drive, an adventure beyond my wildest dreams, something that only happens in the movies.  How could we say no?  Over six hours on a horse going up through rough country to approximately fifteen thousand foot elevation, watching out for rogue single bulls that like to charge anything that moves, falling in behind the cattle and helping to bring them in produced a very sore butt and wobbly knees but it was worth every minute of it.  That evening the rodeo celebration started around 7 PM with an outdoor barbequed dinner with the real cowboys (chagras), a good quantity of alcohol, and for some of the people, singing and whooping it up in celebration of a successful "Rodeo".  Adventure is not a strong enough word for rodeo, it went far beyond that!

The following morning we did another hike north from the El Tambo main house.  We hiked up close to fourteen thousand foot elevation and got to expereience some pretty amazing views. After doing about forty percent of the distance, we turned around and headed back to the Hacienda.  We then headed for Tierra del Volcan’s third lodge, Hacienda El Porvenir.  Prior to another great dinner, we were assigned rooms and then given a tour of the many different types of rooms available to guests.  Every room is decorated in a different theme from the others.  My room was actually the “Honeymoon Suite,” a very large room with a large bed and a fireplace that made the room cozy warm.  As an additional perk, the maids put a hot-water bottle in the beds when turning them down in the evening.

In the morning, we did a normal horseback riding adventure.  I had sufficiently recovered from the rodeo ride to enjoy this relatively slow, two-hour ride.  We got good views of the agricultural valley and a few good sightings of 19,347-foot high Cotopaxi Volcano during breaks in the clouds.  The final Tierra del Volcan adventure was one final hike to a nearby waterfall.  El Porvenir plans to install a generator and tap ten percent of the water from the top to generate their own electricity.

Andrian took us into Quito where we said good-bye. Next we headed to the Galapagos, stay tuned for Part 2

Guest post submitted by Jeremy Burnham

While on a flight from Miami to Ecuador I was pondering why I love to travel so much and what my goals of my trip to Ecuador were. For me traveling is about new experiences, finding things I can’t find close to home, seeing new places, trying new foods, meeting new people and making memories that will last a lifetime. You won’t always remember reading this blog or what you had for lunch today, but you will remember trying a strange new food in another country or seeing fearless wildlife in the Galapagos.  

For this trip to Ecuador which is “workcation” (half work and half vacation) my goals are to try new foods, which is a stretch for a picky eater like me! Help with a local conservation project in Cotopaxi National Park. Get my Dad (who is coming with me) to try a new sport, I’m hoping he will try ziplining. Practice my Spanish with the locals. Get some amazing photos and video for the Austin-Lehman website. Also we will be doing some new trip development at Tierra Del Volcan and expanding our hiking vacations. Tierra del Volcan is an adventure travel company that offers adventure activities and ecotourism options located in the heart of Ecuador’s Greatest National Parks.

I have one more goal and that is to share my trip to Ecuador with you! I am going to try my best to bust out some travel blogs, post photos and video while I’m on my trip. The goal being to inspire people to get and see this amazing world we live in.

So check back soon, much more to come!

Leave a comment and share your goals and why you travel! We love hearing from you!

Your friendly and excited traveler,

Jonathan

 

I don't think excited is a strong enough word for how I feel about my upcoming trip to Ecuador. I will be taking my 66 year old Dad on his first adventure vacation! We've done some hiking vacations before, but they were a long time ago. This will be his first full-on multisport trip at 66! I mention this becuase it is awesome, I have to give the ole man some credit for taking me up on this adventure. 

We are first headed to the Provinces of Cotopaxi, Napo and Pichincha to see our friends at Tierra del Volcán. There we will be doing some horseback riding, hiking and biking around the National Parks, as well as helping with some conservation projects. We will be staying in some real haciendas in the Cotopaxi area. (photo of Hacienda El Tambo) We will spend 3 days treking around this extraordinary ecosystem of the Condor Bioreserve, which has a considerable amount of local endemism.

 

 

 

Next we will be heading to the Galápagos Islands for a sea and land based trip. I think the right word would be "stoked" for how I feel about going to the Galápagos. Day 1 we will head to the National Tortoise Reserve, where we will get to view giant Galápagos turtles in the wild and maybe see some short-eared owls. Day 2 we will be kayaking and snorkling around the islands, followed by a stop at the Darwin Research Center. I am pretty excited about visiting the Darwin Research Center, I'm kind of a fan of Darwins work! Day 3 we will explore North and South Plazas Islands, making a landing on South Plazas, where some of the richest flora and fauna per square foot in the entire Galapagos Archipelago. After that we will be sadly head back to Quito and then on a plane back to the States.

I will be taking a lot of photo and video gear, so make sure you check back and see some of my photos/videos. I will also try and get some travel blogs up while I'm there.

Leave a comment and tell me what you would like to see photos and video of most! I'm looking forward to getting photos of some local boobies... Blue Footed Boobies that is!

Till next time...

Jonathan

Visiting South America proves to be an adventure vacation like no other. If you read our last adventure travel post on the wine country region of Chile and Argentina, we hope you got a taste for the wonders of their wines, food and culture.

But just off the coast of Ecuador in northern South America, there is another location that no true adventurer will want to miss in their lifetime. The Galapagos Islands represent the epitome of every adventure seekers quest for thrilling and challenging environments rarely seen by tourists.

Water lovers will be absolutely fascinated in the bounty of activities just waiting to be explored. How about getting up close to fearless creatures like 150 year old tortoises weighing 600 pounds?  Did you know you can swim with penguins in the warm waters of Ecuador?

Our adventure trips to the land of Galapagos offers travelers all the kayaking, snorkeling and swimming in richly colored reefs you could ever want. The amazing ecosystem of the area offers scenic views, a large variety of differing wildlife species, geological rock formations and volcanic landscapes that are truly incredible.

After days adventuring on foot and in sea, guests with a need for a little pampering will appreciate the luxury yacht that offers stunning accommodations, gourmet food and drinks and the ultimate in relaxation. Share the Galapagos adventure vacations with us by visiting our online catalog today to get started planning your trip of a lifetime.
 

If you are looking for something a little different for this year’s vacation, why not try adventure travel to South America? There’s plenty of biking, hiking, rafting and horseback riding to satisfy even the most adventurous of travelers, and with all the thrilling action, you might even have enough time to learn a little about ancient civilizations, culture and archaeology as well!

What do you think of when you hear country names like Chile, Argentina, Ecuador or Peru? It might surprise you to know that there is so much to do and learn in South American countries that once you experience it, you’ll be surprised you waited so long for the journey.

Visiting the western and southernmost tip of the South American continent is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. With pristinely clear waters, high mountaintops and even the driest desert in the world, the ability to strike out on a different path from typical beach or resort travel will really separate the tourist from the adventurer in you. Our Chilean and Argentinian wine country journey takes you to important wine making regions. With our adventure vacation packages, you’ll experience nine days of hiking, biking and horseback riding along with plenty of gourmet dining and sampling delectable Cabernet, Syrah and Malbec wines.

Planning adventure trips to Chile and Argentina is as simple as navigating to our online travel catalog or giving us a call today. Our vacations truly put the adventure back into holiday travel.
 

ATTA Summit

Fresh out of a spectacular summer guiding the Yellowstone-Tetons trip for Austin-Lehman Adventures, I took my dad, Dan Austin, up on a job offer to work at the ALA office in Billings, MT. I spent my first week of work adjusting to the hustle bustle of an office environment and my second week moving our old office in the middle of town to a new farmhouse on the outskirts of the city. My third week (and what I consider my first “real” week of work) was spent “drinking from the fire hose” at the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) World Summit held in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

The ATTA  is a global membership organization and home to more than 700 responsible, profitable businesses including tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Just a few of its goals include: promoting and growing the adventure travel market; providing a unifying voice for the industry that promotes and facilitates knowledge sharing, networking and a common vision; and encouraging sustainable and environmentally and culturally sensitive adventure travel practices. I was fortunate enough to attend the ATTA Summit Conference in Chiapas with my dad this past October to witness firsthand what makes adventure travel such an exciting business to be a part of. Hosted by Shannon Stowell, Chris Doyle, and the whole ATTA team, I was amazed at the organization of such a large event, the amount of networking I witnessed and became a part of, and the growing pride I retained from interacting with such an amazing community. Looking back, I realize that I still have a lot to absorb from this conference in moving forward.

One of the major highlights of the ATTA Summit Conference for me was putting names to faces with ALA’s existing partners in other countries. I met with Doris representing our Galapagos Islands adventure; Pepe, Alfredo, Nadia, and Lissy – all ground operators of our spectacular Peru adventures; and Peter who runs our Salmon River Rafting adventure in Idaho. I also met with brand new operators such as Stevie from Scotland and Jorge representing the Otovolo Highlands of Ecuador. I reconnected with my old friends Dave Wiggins (ALA’s PR guy) and Richard Weiss (one of the best travel consultants out there!), who I share travel memories with from past ALA adventures. We even created a new ALA wellness retreat vacation at the Argovia Finca Resort in Mexico with our new friend Bruno Giesemann! Meeting, networking, and reconnecting with travel professionals from around the world who are stoked on adventure travel is one of the perks that makes my job so rewarding and fun!

ARGOVIA CABAÑA

For my “first week” of work, another major highlight of the Summit for me was the amount of inspiration for the adventure travel business I came away with. A lot of this came from meeting other adventure-oriented folks with similar goals. The amount of energy and passion in one place for one single thing: adventure travel, would have anyone falling in love with the business. Seeing like-minded individuals band together to promote and grow the adventure travel market was both invigorating and motivating! Perhaps the most inspirational point of the conference for not only me but others who witnessed her magic was one of the keynote speakers, Martha Isabel “Pati” Ruiz Corzo, director of the Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. Pati and her husband built a bottom-up civil conservation movement in the Sierra Gorda Mountains of central Mexico focused on organizing concerned citizens for a regional rescue program based on environmental education, economic development, forestry management, and community development.  Her passionate words, enthusiastic actions, and heartfelt songs had the audience riding a whirlwind of emotions, ultimately leaving the audience stricken by the power of her activism. A person like Pati who does so much in her little corner of the globe, leaves me wondering and motivated to learn about what more I can do to benefit this world.

Ecuador Entertainment

Overall, during my “first week” of work at the ATTA Summit conference in Chiapas, Mexico, I soaked up as much exciting new information as I could about the adventure travel business and will be absorbing much more for months to come. I met new friends, reconnected with old ones, and formed new business ties with several outfitters. I learned about what the ATTA is all about and its commitment to excellent service among its members. Last of all I was inspired by the amount of passion, enthusiasm, and gusto dedicated to such an amazing sector of business! I can’t wait until next year’s ATTA Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland!

Your friendly Field Operations Liaison,

Kasey Austin