The Art of the American Road Trip
Sam Highley, founder of All Roads North, is elevating the all-American vacation.
I’ll be the first to admit, I often overlook the natural treasures in my own backyard. I’ve traveled to far corners of the world, yet there’s so much to be explored right at home. It often takes a friend from another country to remind me of the incredible landscapes and rich cultural experiences just a short drive away. My British friend, Eliza, recently talked me into taking an RV trip around the Pacific Northwest this summer. I immediately called Sam Highley, the founder of All Roads North, a company that specializes in custom, high-end U.S. road trips. Highley is also a Brit. He relocated to New England for his wife’s job and was blown away by the diversity of the U.S. He saw an opportunity to elevate the classic, all American road trip experience and in 2014 launched All Roads North. Now based in California, Highley spends much of the year exploring the country. Here, he shares the U.S. hotel and lodge openings he’s most anticipating, how he delivers unique experiences even in the busiest national parks, and why the American South deserves more attention from travelers.
How has All Roads North evolved over the years? Have you seen a shift in what travelers are looking for in a road trip?
“When we launched, we were creating itineraries that linked five-star properties. So we’d draw a line from Amangiri in Utah to Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado to Amangani in Wyoming. But there are so many interesting places in between. We’ve taken great care and time to find small, family run B&Bs and boutique lodges that we can pair with those higher-end stays. We have found that people want properties that have character and personality. Even luxury properties can start to feel cookie cutter, replicated multiple times across a brand. Travelers want more than luxury bells and whistles within four walls. They are looking for a journey…and experience. For example, we just had one client book a luxury ranch vacation but they paired it with a truly wild pack trip. Those kinds of itineraries are becoming more common.”
How often are you on the road seeking out new experiences and lodges?
“Every year we try to bite off a couple of recce trips. I just got back from Vermejo, Ted Turner’s reserve in New Mexico. We really try to look beyond the obvious. It’s the place, but also the people, we get excited about and often it’s the story behind a property that makes it right for our clients.”
Amangiri really proved that you can do luxury in the U.S. in a remote, wilderness setting. What new or forthcoming five-star properties are you excited about?
“Amangiri is still the leader in singular destination properties. They really set the bar. Utah’s luxury lodging options are about to explode. Abercrombie & Kent has plans for A&K Sanctuary in Moab, Utah and Six Senses has announced Camp Korongo, an Amangiri-esque property in Kanab, Utah. It’s exciting to see some of the big, high-end brands coming to the U.S. for the first time like One & Only, which recently opened in Big Sky, Montana.
I’m also seeing more high-end ranch stays. Legacy family ranches are being sold to financiers and tech money and these new owners are transforming the propertie into high-end guest ranches. I was really impressed by Alpine Falls Ranch in western Montana and hedge fund manager Louis Bacon recently took over Trinchera Ranch in Colorado and there is an incredible conservation story behind that property.”
Is the glamping trend here to stay? How do you weave it into your itineraries?
“It’s not going away and for the right client, especially families, a few nights glamping with an outfit like Under Canvas can be a fun option. And sometimes it’s the best option. Under Canvas has been really good at choosing national park-adjacent locations, like West Yellowstone, where there aren’t alternative accommodations. I see more and more clients want a little roughing it in the middle of their trip and then they like to end with a luxury stay. You really feel you earned it.”
What part of the U.S. are you getting the most requests for this year?
“If you had asked me pre-pandemic, I would have said the Southwest. But now, cowboy culture is in the zeitgeist with celebrities wearing cowboy hats and Beyoncé doing her country album and its fed into travel. The American West, particularly Montana and Wyoming, are in high demand.”
How do you escape the crowds in the heavy hitter parks, like Yellowstone and Yosemite or do you steer them to lesser known parks?
“If we have clients visiting Wyoming or Montana for the first time, they’re going to want to see Yellowstone. Most visitors don’t leave the trailheads, so you don’t need to go far to find some solitude. Of course first timers will want to see Old Faithful, but we contrast that experience with something really one-of-a-kind. We have a wonderful network of great guides. For example, in Yellowstone, we work with a woman who owns a team of llamas and takes people into the backcountry. And we encourage our clients to go a bit further afield, so if they visit Jackson Hole, we might also suggest they travel to Sheridan, Wyoming.”
I think many Americans think of the U.S. road trip as a D.I.Y vacation. How do you convince travelers of the value add they can get by working with you?
“Beyond logistics and great accommodations, we add value through our on-the-ground relationships, which we’ve spent over a decade fostering. In the West and Southwest, we facilitate experiences that create a deeper connection with the outdoors, like having a naturalist accompany our clients in Yellowstone National Park, for example. In New England, we send our clients to the small guy making goat cheese at an organic farm in Vermont’s Mad River Valley.”
What part of the U.S. do you think is most underrated?
“For me, it’s the South. I think it is so under-the-radar and so interesting. There’s less luxury infrastructure, but the nature and culture is fascinating. We just finished curated a trip to Louisiana that included New Orleans, but we also got the clients out on boats in the bayou and they experienced a crawfish boil.”
Great read! Amangiri looks incredible 👀 and, what a great resource for road trippers looking for unique spots to stop along the way.