A Legacy of Adventure, Learning & Discovery
Dear Traveler,
ROW was born from a long legacy of adventure. The photo above was taken by Peter’s grandfather in 1913 when he was working for the U.S. Forest Service. From 1909-1916 he rode a horse throughout Idaho, snowshoed in Utah, and one summer, rode on this scowboat for a few days between the town of Salmon and the mouth of the Middle Fork of the Salmon.
Both Betsy and Peter had parents who made travel a priority over material things. Peter’s parents, with five children in tow, set sail from New York in February 1965 on the SS Ryndam crossing to Rotterdam. On arrival, a new VW van was waiting and for the next five months they camped and stayed in youth hostels throughout southern Europe. Thus began Peter’s love affair with travel, history and the Mediterranean. Betsy’s parents shared the world of nature with an epic canoe trip to the Bowron Lakes in British Columbia, numerous backpacking trips in the Cascade Mountains, and many Rocky Mountain ski adventures. To say that travel, learning and discovery are in the DNA of ROW would be an understatement.
As we reflect on 45 years, we evermore appreciate our roots that led us to a life of adventure and growth. We have planted and nurtured new trips in the world of adventure travel, including operating the first guided rafting trips on Idaho’s Moyie (1982) and St. Joe (1986); the first descent of Ecuador’s Amazon tributary, the Rio Upano (1991); yachting trips in Yugoslavia along the coast of Croatia (1988); the first-ever sea kayaking tours with island camping in the Galapagos (2006) and the first People-to-People educational sea kayaking tours in Cuba (2015). We are thankful for all those who have joined us and supported these new adventures.
We have always tried our best to be a positive force for good in the world. Today the world of travel abounds with terms such as ecotravel, responsible and sustainable travel, regenerative travel, and others, sometimes presented as new concepts. The fact is, ROW has always operated in a way that embraces these philosophies: following Leave No Trace practices, advocating for conservation, employing local people, supporting local economies, being sensitive to local cultures, service to others, traveling with purpose and setting the stage for personal growth and discovery.
We continue to ask ourselves, as Spokane artist Harold Balazs suggested, “How do I conduct my life so that my efforts end up on the credit column of the planet’s ledgers?” This question has guided us and shaped our values.
We are thankful to share with you the celebration of our 45th year! More than ever, we believe that travel is a bridge between cultures that teaches us that we have much more in common with our global neighbors than differences. Walls between us have no place, and only through dialogue, sharing and cooperation will we meet the challenges of the future.
We hope you find inspiration in these pages to join us. We look forward, as always, to sharing with you the warmth of our campfire and our hearts.
Faithfully yours,
Peter Grubb & Betsy Bowen
Founders of the ROW Family of Companies
2024 marks our 45th year in business!
We invite you to view the video below, in celebration of our 40th Anniversary.
