Editor’s Note:
Summer is fast approaching and that means that many ‘Keeters are starting to take or plan (safe!) outdoor adventures. We have been an entirely remote workforce for over a year now and we have also grown tremendously in that time! Now we have ‘Keeters based all over the country, but we are connected by our love of Terakeet and our comprehensive benefits package — including our generous PTO!
We sat down virtually with a few ‘Keeters to talk about how they plan to use their PTO this summer. They were gracious enough to give us the scoop on some really exciting trips they’ll be taking. Read below to hear all about their summer vacations!
Q1: Have you used PTO to go on a summer vacation or are you planning on using PTO to go on a summer vacation?
Perlu Community & Campaign Manager Danielle Benjamin: Yes! I recently took off a couple Fridays to drive down to visit my cousin in North Carolina and work somewhere new for a bit. We spent the first weekend in their cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains and hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail. The trail went back and forth across the Tennessee/North Carolina border and had incredible panoramic views the entire time. In July, I’m using a week of PTO to go camping with my husband’s family at Raquette Lake – a tradition of nearly 100 years! Every summer we look forward to our Adirondack getaway and I share our adventures on my travel blog, Wanderlust on a Budget.
SEO Analyst Adam Nutting: Every year I use my vacation time for at least one grand adventure. In the past, I have gone to the Sunshine Coast in Vancouver, BC, and to Central Pennsalvania to hike the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. Typically, it is a week full of backpacking and fun with friends. This year I have shifted gears and will be heading to Southwest Colorado for a backcountry Jeep Adventure. We are headed deep into the mountains to look for abandoned mines and ghost towns and to camp along the way. Excited to see what this part of Colorado can surprise us with.
Sr. Digital Content Specialist Anne Holub: The weekend after the Fourth of July, my husband and I are taking a couple of days off to make an extra long weekend. We’re spending it at a remote U.S. Forest Service cabin about an hour north of Livingston, Montana in the Crazy Mountains which are a part of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. No cell service, lots of gorgeous vistas (including epic sunsets), and plenty of time to hike around with the dogs, and fish in the Shields River if conditions allow.
SEO Analyst Liam Lipsky: Taking Monday, June 14th off to go camping up in the Adirondacks from the 12-14. No cabins or anything, we’re going to rough it out in the woods for a few days and figure out a plan from there. Maybe a high peak? Maybe we’ll go kayaking? Who knows?
Sr. SEO Analyst Lexi Grafe: When summer arrives, it’s usually a catalyst to all my travel plans and outdoor adventures! For a long Memorial Day Weekend, we’ll be taking a road trip from Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico with plans to stop at the Great Sand Dunes and some natural hot springs along the way. In August, I’m taking a week off to go to Iceland and scuba dive in the continental divide, explore glaciers, black sand beaches, lagoons, and waterfalls.
Project Manager Kevin Clay: I didn’t get the chance to do any traveling last year, so I’m really looking forward to making up for it this time around. For me, vacation is all about resetting, spending time with friends and family, and throwing in a little bit of adventure here and there. The awesome thing about living in Upstate New York is having access to so many unique places like the Adirondacks and the Catskills, the Erie Canal, the Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls – the list goes on and on. I’m planning on taking a couple of week-long vacations this summer to spend time hiking in the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake areas (I’d love to summit a few more of the 46 high peaks and tackle the Saranac Ultra 6er). I always enjoy the occasional long weekend to visit friends in Buffalo and Philly, so I’ll be setting aside time for that too.
