Sam Highley

Founder, All Roads North

Tell us about you and your company.

All Roads North is an unpretentious luxury travel company that custom designs American road trips, which I founded in 2014. I’m a Brit, and prior to moving to the U.S. I’m afraid to say it wasn’t on my “bucket list” of places I wanted to visit. I had many of the negative preconceptions that I think others (some Americans included!) share about the U.S. as an exciting, challenging travel destination. Suffice it to say, as soon as I started to move around the country, I realized how wrong I’d been. Yes, it’s a beautiful, adventurous, fun place to travel, but what has always surprised me the most is its diversity; it more than lives up to its billing as a melting pot and it makes for a fascinating place to travel. When I looked at how the luxury travel world regarded the U.S. (and still does), it was in a very cookie-cutter, superficial way and nobody was really trying to get under the skin of the country in the same way that they were elsewhere. I founded All Roads North to fill that gap.

What’s the entry level to talk to you?

As a rough rule of thumb, we have a minimum trip spend of $15,000.

What is the sweet spot of your expertise?

The more thoughtful and challenging the brief from our clients, the better the end experience. We’ve always put people and places first and hotels second—those that travel with the same mentality tend to appreciate what All Roads North offers.

A favorite experience/trip you’ve planned that best represents your travel philosophy…

We’ve just finished a fun trip for a repeat client in Northern CA. They’d had a very memorable walking trip along Spain’s Camino and were looking to recreate something similar with ten friends to celebrate his wife’s 40th birthday. We designed an itinerary along the coast of Mendocino that linked hikes into secluded inns, kayaking out to hidden coves and sunset horse rides along the beach. Each day had at least one long centerpiece meal, from shucking oysters on a private beach to Michelin-starred tasting menus. It was very much the type of logistically complex trip we love to take on and we were working with demanding clients who could afford the best, but prioritized authentic, meaningful experiences over the bling and bombast that some travel has become. 

A favorite hotel/lodge/house you love and go back to again and again…

My family and I have spent the last few summers at a ranch in Montana called J Bar L. It’s a wonderfully remote place in the middle of the Centennial Valley—you can look thirty miles in either direction and barely see another building.  

The most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling in your region…

The Jolly Oyster, a van on the beach in Ventura, is an old favorite. Pick up a good bottle of local white wine and enjoy sweet little Kumamoto oysters and scallop ceviche.

A not-to-be-missed favorite experience…

I’ve just finished reading The Overstory by Richard Powers, so trees are front of mind! There is something very special about walking amongst giant Sequoias—their scale and age are hard to fathom. Sadly, Sequoia National Park has just suffered a major wildfire that has threatened some of the largest Sequoia groves. Our clients can experience these places while supporting the Sequoia Conservancy, a conservation non-profit that is working to protect these trees.

What is a place we should consider traveling to that could really use our dollars, and what is a place we should put on pause because, even though we love it, it sees too many tourists?

Many Native American reservations were particularly badly impacted by Covid and shutdowns. They’re special places to visit at any time, but putting tourist dollars back into the local economies is especially important now. On the flip side, some of the major national parks have seen very heavy traffic and are in danger of being loved to death. There are some incredible national monuments, wilderness areas, state parks, etc., that can deliver amazing experiences with a fraction of the crowds and a much lighter footprint.

Underrated location, overrated location, personal favorite, recent discovery?

Underrated: Los Angeles

Overrated: Route 66

Personal Favorite: Acadiana in Louisiana

Recent Discovery: Utah’s Nebo Loop Scenic Byway

How can people best contact you?

ask@allroadsnorth.com, +1-310-402-2031