About
The People behind the scene
Exploring the Deep History, Dirt Roads, and the Bones of the American West
Pull up a camp chair, grab a cup of coffee off the JetBoil, and let’s talk about exploring the Rocky Mountain back-country.
Meet the Guide
Founder & CEO
I didn’t start this project as a professional historian or a paleontologist. I’m a 60-year-old solo female traveler who simply decided it was time to uncover the Jurassic wonders and pioneer history sitting right in my own backyard.
My perspective is shaped by a lifetime spent in the dusty wind of Wyoming and Colorado. I spent time in my youth working ranches and dedicated many years to historical preservation. I grew up in a family of professional artists who viewed the landscape as a canvas, finding inspiration in the same remote campsites I visit today.
I’m no back-country survival expert, but I’ve spent a few of decades working and living in the rugged corridors of the American Rockies. I have a map, a truck, and a relentless curiosity. I don’t have all the answers yet, but let’s figure it out together.
Meet my Co-Host: Hugo
Founder & CEO
I travel solo, but I never travel alone. My second-in-command is Hugo—better known as “Boss,” a title he earned from the locals while we were driving through the heart of Appalachia.
He is a 70-pound black-and-white Mountain Cur, a true, gritty American pioneer hound. A shelter rescue turned back-country veteran. Hugo is a very good boy who loves running through the sagebrush, takes up more than his fair share of the truck cab, and is always waiting by the door for our next mission.
The coffee is ready, and Hugo is waiting by the truck. Let’s hit the trail.
Our Story
For the first few years of my travels, I fell into the classic trap. I played the tourist game: I drove the miles, paid the fees, and checked the famous sights off the list. And for a while, just being there felt like enough. But eventually, standing in front of a monument just to say I saw it started to feel incredibly empty. Passive sightseeing is exhausting, expensive, and ultimately forgettable.For the first years of my travels, I fell into the classic trap: I paid my money, drove the miles, and checked various famous sights off the list. And for a while, just being there felt like enough. But eventually, standing in front of a monument just to say I saw it started to feel entirely empty. It began to feel a massive waste of my energy and travel dollars. Passive sightseeing can be exhausting and expensive.
~ I realized that a trip with a personal purpose gave the experience far more depth. The destination doesn’t matter; the pursuit does. ~
The Curious West was built to cure the superficial itinerary. I believe the only way to get true value out of your travel dollar is to anchor your miles to your obsessions. Whether your passion is hunting Eocene fossils in a Wyoming quarry, tracking the 1.2-million-pound Big Boy steam engine through a canyon, or glassing a remote sage-grouse lek at dawn, we are here to help you build your own interest-driven expeditions.
The Mission: “The Curious West” Philosophy
Our Mission
The goal is to empower you—whether you are a solo traveler, a retiree, or just someone tired of the paved highways—to expand your vacation into the real American West.
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