Meet Tours Specialist Mandy Hale

December 3, 2013

Last week our Tours Department welcomed another wonderful addition. Meet our newest tours specialist, Mandy Hale. Mandy and I met this week to talk about her experiences, and in her own words, how she arrived at Adventure Cycling, what brought her here, and what her journey has been like along the way.

Mandy lived in Alaska most of her adult life. Originally from Wisconsin, Mandy was in her 20s, living in Lake Tahoe with a girlfriend, when on a whim she decided to visit friends in Alaska. What was intended to be a short visit for a few months lasted nearly 40 years! We both laughed when she said Missoula is the largest town she has ever lived in.

Mandy has been a member of Adventure Cycling for about 10 years. She remembers visiting a friend’s house and picking up a copy of Adventure Cyclist magazine from the coffee table, immediately intrigued. In 2003, Mandy rode her first bike tour with Woman Tours to see if she would like touring and traveling in a group. She loved it, and she hasn’t looked back since. At this point she has ridden on three Woman Tours, two Adventure Cycling tours and four self-lead tours with her husband Tom.

Mandy has fond memories of her time in Alaska. It's always hard to leave close friends and neighbors. Mandy most enjoyed Alaska's laid-back attitude and extremely friendly and welcoming people. Like people in Montana and in the rest of the rural west, Mandy finds that Alaskans have big, open hearts. She says that Missoula, though a large town compared to Palmer, Alaska, has that small-town feel which very much appeals to her.

In addition to cycling, Mandy really enjoys reading, writing and travelling. She loves to write, and hosts a blog called Let's Leave Tonight. Mandy got started in journaling and blogging as a way to share her travels and adventures on two wheels. Some of her favorite travels include a trip with her husband, Tom, to Australia, and their extended bike tour along the Mississippi River.

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Please join me in welcoming Mandy Hale to the Adventure Cycling Tours Department!

Post by Darrah Rogers | Photos by Tom Hale

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ON THE ROAD is written by the tours team — Lydia, Darrah, Mike, Mandy, and Arlen — tours specialists and intrepid bicyclists, covering all things related to the Adventure Cycling tours department. Check out our 2014 Guided Tours today!