How Adventure Family Trips (AFT) Got Started

I had the idea for Adventure Family Trips on the way home from a ski trip in 2008. That idea became a reality as I decided to leave my job in Pharmaceutical Sales and start my own company. As a single mother of two young boys I felt I needed to do something that would involve them and provide them with a better lifestyle.

Now that my boys were a little older, we decided to go on an adventure and take a ski trip that involved a great many logistics. Sure, we had done many day trips and the occasional overnight, but I wanted to take the boys some place special. As with the other trips, I knew it would take planning and a great deal of organizing. What doesn’t with kids? As I began my search, I realized I would need some input from an “agent” to assist me with the many questions I had. I used a tour operator but did not feel satisfied with their knowledge of the resort I chose. When I asked specific questions they were not certain since they had not been to the resort. Sure, they were of some help but not as much as I needed. I still had to do much research online to view maps and look at lodging and other areas of interest . The trip was a success but only because of all the time I spent doing the necessary research to make the trip run smoothly.

It was after this trip that I realized the need for a more complete service for families, both single and otherwise, traveling with children.. I felt I had the experience and expertise to create a company that could help families facing the same challenges that I had faced planning my trip. My mother has been in the travel industry for over 25 years so I grew up traveling extensively to many different places. We skied as a family from the time I was just four years old traveling to Colorado, California, Nevada , Vermont, New York, Maryland and most of the resorts in Pennsylvania . My experience traveling with my own children as a single mother has been wonderful. It has its challenges but I feel there is nothing more important than keeping your children active and exposing them to new places and things. There are so many memories to be made, so consider taking your children on an adventure!

- Kate Burnside, Founder