It might surprise you to learn that Dan Friesen’s greatest wish for the near future is to take a family vacation — a normal, relaxing family vacation. It’s surprising because he organizes walking tour vacations all over the world for folks who are interested in connecting with history and other cultures as president and lead guide for Walking Adventures International.
“There’s so much to value to travel,” he says. “Our groups are generally positive people looking to make the most of things; they have a high value for learning. We try to coach people that America is kind of a bubble; we’re insulated as a culture between two oceans, speaking only English. All that tends to make us less aware of what’s going on. When we travel we try to wake people up and expect things to be different. They have to go with the flow a little bit. Travel is amazing.”
Name: Dan Friesen.
Residence neighborhood: Cascade Park.
Business name: Walking Adventures International, 14612 N.E. Fourth Plain Road, Suite A, Vancouver. 1-800-779-0353; http://walkingadventures.com.
Age: 59.
Educational/professional background: I was born in Salzburg, Austria, during a stint my parents were doing in mission work in the 1950s following World War II. But I grew up in Portland on the east side. I spent a year in Canada as a lad of 5 (my family’s background is Canadian) but other than that, and a six-month period living in Germany with my family as a teenager, I was raised and have lived mainly in the Pacific Northwest.
After marrying my high school sweetheart, Linda (celebrating 40 years this June), I did a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in sunny, downtown Great Falls, Mont., where it can snow any day of the year. Fred Meyer and the GI Bill then funded my university education before I joined an accounting firm in downtown Portland. I then did five years’ hard labor as a CPA in a downtown high-rise before my dad liberated me to engage in a travel profession with him.
How — and when — you got started in your business: My father was a German language teacher — he grew up speaking low German as his first language, high German as a second language, and English as a third. As a teacher, he took student groups to Europe to practice their fledgling language skills as a summer job. That was in the 1960s. He morphed into adult groups, who typically don’t need chaperoning.
In the late 1980s, some of his travel clients were members of a local Portland walking club with affiliates worldwide. They asked about doing a walk in Germany and Dad adjusted the schedule to make that possible. Three women from the group approached my dad about building itineraries in Europe around these local club walks, mixing his traditional sightseeing on days and afternoons when they were not walking. He was retiring from teaching that year, and had intended to let the travel business fade into the sunset. But with this prompting, he decided to give walking tours a try. The concept took off and he needed a little business guidance. After helping him get set up, he offered me a full-time job and I took the plunge.
Personal/business philosophy: It’s all about authenticity. We try to be real and transparent with our travelers and we look for real and authentic travel experiences to share with them. Our goal is to connect travelers with the history, culture, and nature of the destination as much as is possible on a two-week visit.
Most rewarding part of job: Crafting a travel itinerary that blends these aspects of history, culture, nature, then watching travelers experience and appreciate it.
Most challenging part of job: A walking tour format is inherently challenging because 1) we plan the walks and need to be able to lead them, and 2) the itinerary is therefore fuller and more physically demanding. In addition, we have a global footprint, and training staff to be the glue that hold the company brand and WAI experience together regardless of what continent or culture they are visiting is therefore a moving target and yet a top priority. Because we are international, when we’re planning an experience we know what we want to achieve, so we develop relationships with local guides to ensure they’re on the same page with our intent and philosophy. Our travelers then will have a consistent experience when going on multicountry trips.
Something surprising about your work: This is NOT a glamour job! People think of travel as glamorous, and it definitely can be. But if you don’t do your homework and don’t manage the details of the program on an hour-by-hour basis, constantly anticipating what is coming next and how it could go wrong, the dream trip your travelers are expecting can turn into a bunch of logistical, time-wasting hassles. It’s all in the details.
Best feature of my Clark County community: I like the fact that we are not a “big” city, that I don’t have to commute through traffic to work, and the proximity we have to awesome outdoor experiences like the Columbia River Gorge, the Cascade range, the high deserts of Central Oregon and Washington, and the coast.
What would make your community a better place: I’d love a quieter community. A chorus of yapping little neighbor dogs at night are not my favorite, and I wonder why police sirens are necessary to clear the roads of traffic at 2 a.m.
What is your favorite travel destination and type: It’s an amazing planet … the wonder of history and the biblical background of Israel are awesome; New Zealand is hard to beat for pure scenic appeal, though Norway and the European Alps give it a run for the money; the traditional, Old World charm of Europe reminds us to slow down a bit, America; for an otherworldly experience, Antarctica stands alone! Here at home, the national parks of the American West compete well on the world stage.
Favorite restaurant/pub/coffee shop/store: Not much of a foodie or shopper, but I like the authenticity of small mom-and-pop places. I had lunch at Natalia’s Cafe in Camas a few weeks ago and that was lovely.
Hobbies: I’m a reader (history, biographies, historical fiction), but I enjoy following basketball and football as well.
Most enjoyable book/play/movie/arts event in past 12 months: “The Wright Brothers,” by David McCullough.
Something you’d like to do this year/within five years: Take time to start an annual family vacation tradition to a familiar traditional place, relax and not have to be on duty.
One word to describe yourself: Indescribable! But if I could use a few more I might say intense, curious and perhaps philosophical.
Person you’d most like to meet: Billy Graham or author David McCullough.
