Rob is the head of Franchise Development.

"I grew up outside of Baltimore, MD where I had a background in horticulture and stone masonry. I started my own landscaping business which I operated until 1997 before making a career change, moving to Small Dog Electronics, a local Apple computer reseller, where I worked for twenty years before coming to Discovery Map in 2017.

With the spotlight on Ryan Cochran Siegle at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, people from America to Asia are talking about how this World Cup–and now Olympic–champion hails from a tiny little ski area in Vermont. Ryan Cochran Siegle couldn’t be prouder to identify as a Vermonter, one that grew up at Cochran’s Ski Area, his family-owned ski hill that boasts two lifts and less than a mile of trails.

Many of you know that the folks at Discovery Map, whose headquarters are tucked into the charming town of Waitsfield, Vermont, also love our Green Mountain state and the many authentic experiences one can have here.

Map Geek is back! It has been a while since Map Geek posted a blog. Let’s just say that the pandemic put parts of this map aficionado’s life on hold but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any traveling or travel planning going on with this map-centric whizz. Perhaps this has been the case for you as well.

At first, most of the traveling since March 2020 involved road tripping; but it didn’t take long for this passionate traveler to wander farther, which meant taking to the skies. Of course flying since spring of 2020 has become even more stressful–between all of the mask wearing, social distancing, excessive hand washing, airline seat wiping and such–but it’s hard to keep a die-hard traveler away and many of us have just sallied forth braving each inconvenience as we went. Long lines at the TSA, airport restaurants, and restrooms have become as commonplace as flight delays and cancellations. Still, we keep on traveling.

Laura is the Map Production Manager, but has many talents.

"I grew up in a small town outside Grand Rapids, MI and attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, where I studied Child Development and Psychology. A self-proclaimed “jack of all trades,” I have acquired experience in a variety of fields including childcare, education, social work, outdoor recreation, summer camps, lifeguarding, and several years as a state park ranger (which is what brought me to Vermont).

With Jack Frost peeping around the corner, I have one thing on the brain; mountains. Though I don’t consider myself an athlete, I do have an affinity for, you guessed it, ski maps. And, oh, how far they’ve come...as mountains have grown over time, so have the maps.

Ski maps today have come a long way from their original form, with apps to measure your speed, distance, and track your location. But, there is something to be said for the nostalgic blast from the past holding a paper map (ahem) gives you. Discovery Map knows a thing or two about paper maps, and certainly about ski destinations, considering some of our locations are in prime ski-territory. Below you’ll travel back in time to view the evolution of ski maps, and don’t worry; it’s all downhill from here:

Before lining up lodging for you and your pet, the Map Geek suggests you read Traveling with Pets Part One: Hitting the Road. There’s no point in booking a stay somewhere if traveling there is going to be a bust. Sometimes, however, you must travel. What if you have to relocate halfway across the country? So if you have a pet, read on because you never know when you might have to pull up roots and find a cozy place to sleep along the way.

As the days grow longer and the number of COVID cases decline, many of us have our sights on spring and summer travel. Some people have already started to pack up the car and take off for outdoor adventures whether they’re headed for the snow or the sand. Indeed, there’s rumbling afoot and people are once again seriously considering travel. We all know what it takes to be safe and by following the key precautionary measures recommended by the CDC and more people vaccinated against this coronavirus, prospects of changing up the scenery grow more promising every day.

With travel comes the question: do we bring our pet or have him or her stay home (or at a kennel or with a trusted friend). That’s the first thing you should ask yourself when considering travel with your cat or dog or in some cases, cats and dogs. (They are best in pairs, aren’t they?)

As part of our ongoing series that celebrates the diversity across America and beyond within our Discovery Map destinations, it seems appropriate to salute Asian people at this time. The Chinese New Year is Friday, February 12 this year and we are smack dab in the period of the new moon, which this year begins January 21 and ends February 20. Also called the Lunar New Year, this period marks the first moon of the lunisolar calendars, which are regulated by the cycles of the moon and sun.

Not all Asian people are Chinese, although a good number of them are, which partly explains why Chinese New Year is a big deal to many. Other countries also celebrate the Chinese New Year, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines. And you don’t have to be of Asian origin to embrace this holiday time or to appreciate the Asian-influenced food, art and cultural offerings that so many of us enjoy throughout the year.

Happy new year to all! With a new year comes thoughts of realizing hopes and dreams, and often that happens through travel. Yes, we’re still in a global pandemic and our world – whether in the United States or beyond – sometimes feels downright crazy. But this ironically fuels both a desire to hunker in and batten down the hatches and alternatively to take flight. Most of us have been juggling this juxtaposition since last March yet with the COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out all over the globe, people are gearing up to head out and spread their wings. Whether plans are being made for this spring or next fall, there’s definitely a lot of pent up energy that needs to be released in terms of travel.

Part Three: Honoring Hispanic People

In the Map Geek’s last blog, Diversity in Discovery Map Destinations: Honoring Native Americans, the post ended with highlighting the rich Native American culture that’s still very much alive today in New Mexico. So this seems like a good place to start for this story.