We are a family from the Chicago suburbs that loves travel and adventure.
Ellie: I am Ellie Knott and I am 12 years old. I am also the youngest in the family. Some of my hobbies are scouts, acting, school, sleeping, homework, eating ,breathing, hiking, and walking. My favorite food is shrimp De Jonghe and my room is all national park themed. When I grow up I want to be a ranger. That’s all about me.
Zoe: My name is Zoe. I am 10 and in fourth grade. My favorite sport is gymnastics and I really like to hike. My favorite indoor activity is playing with my sister. I really like school and I wish I had glasses. My favorite food is cupcakes and aqua is my favorite color. You will never catch me breaking a rule. I want to be a Computer Programmer when I grow up and live in San Francisco. I am obsessed with Khan Academy and I’m taking a class on Coursera about the history of the world. I also really want to babysit, but you have to be 14 in order to be home alone or babysit in Illinois.
Molly: I’m not naturally a nature-loving, outdoorsy person and until we began these adventures, I never felt a connection with the earth. But, that has changed. I yearn for our trips. Partly because of the National Parks and hiking, and partly because of the posh Kimpton hotels we’ve grown accustomed to. Turns out I really, really like fancy things as well as getting some dirt in my hiking boots. I’m a teacher at our local elementary school and seem to be one of the few adults who sincerely love going to work each day. However, I also cherish the biggest perk of being an educator, the summers off. When not adventuring or teaching, I coach Girls on the Run, co-lead our school’s GEMS club, serve on the Brookfield Beautification Commission, and try my hardest to be at least a mediocre mom and wife.
Zak: Since going on our first road trip together in 2010 I’ve spent most of my time planning our future journeys. We’re spectacularly lucky to be able to spend our summers together travelling the country. Each year I try to push on the limits of our comfort a bit as we discover more of the amazing world we live in. In my spare time I teach high school physics.