The Type 2 Traveler

Kayaking off Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. Like many American travelers, Costa Rica was my gateway to Latin America. I fell hard for the wildlife-filled rainforests, surf-swept beaches, sky-high volcanoes, and warm people. But, after a handful of visits, I craved someplace that felt a bit more raw, wild, and undiscovered. I wanted to feel challenged and surprised. So, I ventured over the border to Nicaragua, which I had been told was like Costa Rica back in the 70s and 80s.

Welcome to The Type 2 Traveler’s guide files. I believe guides are unsung heroes. They’re perpetual students and teachers. When I go through my digital rolodex, these are the people who have shepherded me through the outdoors over the years. Whether you’re looking for a backcountry ski guide or someone to lead you on a hike in Hawaii, these are the folks to call. The secret to a great surf trip is finding a surfing sensei, like Matt Lindsay.

You can have the Hamptons and the Vineyard and all of Europe’s ritzy rivieras. When summer rolls around, I head home to the Jersey Shore. Growing up in the Shore town of Point Pleasant (exit 98) meant dawn-to-dusk days at the beach, riding cruiser bikes to the boardwalk to play skee-ball and watch the Thursday night fireworks, and a steady diet of lobster rolls and Hoffman’s ice cream. It didn’t hit me until I got older that I lived where most people vacationed.

Welcome to The Type 2 Traveler’s guide files. I believe guides are unsung heroes. They’re perpetual students and teachers. When I go through my digital rolodex, these are the people who have shepherded me through the outdoors over the years. Whether you’re looking for a backcountry ski guide or someone to lead you on a hike in Hawaii, these are the folks to call. Brooke leading a sea to ski trip in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

A section of the East Coast Greenway in Johnston County, N.C. Photo credit: East Coast Greenway Alliance Over the weekend, I attended the Outside Days Festival in Denver. One of the talks that really resonated with me was themed the Outdoor Prescription. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, health journalist Catherine Price, and Boyz N The Wood co-found CJ Goulding discussed health, access, and public policy and the myriads of mental and physical benefits we get from being outdoors.

Fishing, surfing, and snowboarding all in one day at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Summer is unofficially underway. I’m a beach girl at heart, but I’ve come love lake life…particularly in Alaska during the unicorn month of June. For five short weeks, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge runs its one-of-a-kind Kings & Corn program. With 20-plus hours of daylight, it’s possible to heli-ski buttery corn snow in the morning, angle for king salmon in the afternoon, and e-foil, SUP, and wake-surf all evening.

Welcome to The Type 2 Traveler’s guide files. I believe guides are unsung heroes. They’re perpetual students and teachers. When I go through my digital rolodex, these are the people who have shepherded me through the outdoors over the years. Whether you’re looking for a backcountry ski guide or someone to lead you on a hike in Hawaii, these are the folks to call. Maxie Johnson guides for EXP Journeys.

An elephant in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Photo credit: Chris Roche I have traveled to Africa more than 20 times and still haven’t made my way to some of the best-known safari destinations, like Kenya and Tanzania. I am sure the Great Migration is great, but I am more interested in visiting wilder, less touristed frontiers of countries like Madagascar and Ethiopia. When I met Chris Roche at the We are Africa conference a few years ago, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit.

I’ll skip Michelin stars to dine under these stars in the Okavango Delta with Beagle Expeditions. Photo caption: Beagle Expeditions I’ve just arrived in Cape Town for the We are Africa conference, a gathering of the continent’s best-of-the-best travel brands, conservationists, and storytellers. Day one kicked off with talks from thought leaders on topics ranging from navigating AI automation to efforts to revive the white rhino population in Kruger National Park.

Welcome to The Type 2 Traveler’s guide files. I believe guides are unsung heroes. They’re perpetual students and teachers. When I go through my digital rolodex, these are the people who have shepherded me through the outdoors over the years. Whether you’re looking for a backcountry ski guide or someone to lead you on a hike in Hawaii, these are the folks to call. Cody Catherall hooks a Pacific Crevalle Jack in Southern Baja.