From a meeting with a wolf biologist in Yellowstone National Park to an intimate evening soiree in the heart of Louisiana with a private chef and jazz quartet, these are just some of the enriching experiences that this travel company has managed to pull off for their clients. Beau Monde Traveler had the chance to speak to Sam Highley, the innovative founder of All Roads North. Sam offered exceptional insights into why it’s all about “unpretentious luxury” when crafting truly memorable travel experiences for your clients.

Based in Venice, California, All Roads North is a travel company that specializes in the fashioning of bespoke, luxury American road trips. All Roads North designs unforgettable journey guides, each one meticulously tailor-made to fit the unique interests and specifications of their clients. Sam knows the type of traveler that his company attracts, and he knows that they aren’t always looking for conventional luxury. They see enough of that on business trips. Travelers are increasingly shifting their gaze toward more authentic experiences and interactions. Being a top travel specialist, All Roads North’s Sam Highley, along with his team of travel professionals, have the expertise to usher clients right to the very core of each curated travel experience, tethering them to people and places for years to come.

We’re all a little guilty of making assumptions about a place based on how we’ve seen it represented by mainstream media, and the United States is certainly no stranger to such misconceptions. Summoning fond memories of some of his earliest travels across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Sam made it clear that if he had a bucket list back then, North America certainly wasn’t on it: “I was looking for diverse, exciting, adventurous travel destinations… And I just didn’t see the U.S fitting that mould.”

After a couple of life-changing career milestones working with lodges in otherworldly places such as the Kola Peninsula and Buenos Aires, Sam found himself on a one-way flight heading straight for his worst nightmare: Boston. His bad impression of the States seemed to be festering with every passing moment, but it wasn’t long until Sam realized just how wrong he had been about what travel really looks like in North America.

Sam remembers the exact moment that stopped him in his tracks, urging him to reconsider his attitude towards the country. Working for Global Rescue at the time, he recalls one of his first trips to New Orleans, which he described as a place that was truly alive, pulsating with a wild vibrancy unlike any other city. Astonished by such charm, Sam’s eyes were opened to a beauty that had been hidden in plain sight – America was a place of rich cultural diversity and adventure, of dramatic landscapes and stunning architecture. And yet, it wasn’t being sold as such by travel companies. North America’s travel scene was drowning in “hotel-led itineraries”, while its true allure, the unexpected and meaningful travel experiences that sit in-between Hotel A and B, clambered to reach the surface.

Noticing this gap, and having proved himself wrong about what the country had to offer travelers, Sam set off to further familiarize himself with the wonders of the U.S. Over a period of 18 months, he ventured and camped across several different states. Upon returning from his explorative journey, Sam had a contact list that was bursting with a strong network of properties and guides that he had accumulated along the way. This was only the beginning. All Roads North has since managed to secure a loyal clientele of curious, independent travel enthusiasts who are eager to get under the skin of each new place.

All Roads North’s journey guides contain everything you could ever need as you embark on your exciting journey – the best routes to take, places that may be of interest, the best spots to stop for lunch, and even local small town events that you might be passing through. But before the team can begin construction on the luxury road trip of your dreams, they first need to take a look inside your dreams.

All Roads North schedules discovery calls with their clients, which involves gaging who they are as travelers. Are you drawn to desert land, mountains or the sea? Would you prefer a real American muscle car or a Tesla as your mode of transport? What’s your favourite genre of music for your road trip playlist? All Roads North is passionate about making their road trips a reflection of their clients, and the more information you give them, the more personalized and special it can become.

That being said, the very thing that sets road trips apart is serendipity. All Roads North encourages their clients not to shy away from stumbling upon the beauty of the unexpected. For, it is these experiences – the ones you don’t have planned right down to the final detail – that remain with you, transforming your road trip into an authentic local experience. Emphasizing the importance of the unexpected goes hand-in-hand with All Roads North’s primary ethos: Unpretentious Luxury. Sam says, “when we say unpretentious luxury, we mean that the luxury is in the experience and not the material elements. I believe that great travel doesn’t need to over-the-top to count as luxury.”

So, how does All Roads North bring their ethos “unpretentious luxury” to life? It all comes down to their long list of immersive properties, expert local guides and non-profits. In addition to their direct relationships with luxury hotels, ranches and lodges, All Roads North partners with Exclusive Resorts – a members-only club offering stays in multi-million-dollar private residences across the United States and internationally. Sam says that All Roads North’s luxury road trip planning services and Exclusive Resorts’ homes are the perfect combination for those seeking private, indulgent luxury travel experiences.

Rather than merely observing a wolf in close quarters at Yellowstone National Park, wouldn’t you want to hear a wolf biologist explain the reintroduction of the wolves into the park, and the many arguments for and against such a decision? This is the very nature of the expert-led experiences that All Roads North organizes for their clients. It shouldn’t be about leaving an experience with just a snap on your phone that you might never glance at again. It should be about walking away enlightened and inspired, with a story in your mind that you’ll never forget.

The traveler’s desire to have a positive impact on the communities that they visit is also on the rise. All Roads North partners with a number of non-profits, giving their clients the chance to learn more about a particular project, with the funds going directly towards supporting the community itself. A great initiative mentioned by Sam was Sage to Saddle, a non-profit in South Dakota dedicated to building indoor riding arenas for young horsemen to use during harsh winter months.

For lovers of the great outdoors looking to experience North America’s majestic wilderness, there is one place in particular that Sam cannot recommend enough – J Bar L Ranch in the heart of Montana’s backcountry. The ranch is a 2-hour drive from the nearest tarmac road, and features phenomenal 360-degree views of vast ranch land and mountain ranges. For many, a truly relaxing vacation is one which doubles as an escape from reality; one which embraces the beauty of solitude. According to Sam, J Bar L Ranch offers exactly that. There’s nothing quite like being burrowed deep in the wild, feeling as if you are the last remaining human on earth.

When asked about which of All Roads North’s crafted experiences he looks back on with the most pride, Sam put it perfectly: “For me, it’s when we can create something that really takes on a life of its own… when people leave having created connections that live outside of the trip. These are the experiences that clients remember the most, that have a real impact on them as travelers.”