Writing about travel, places and experiences that we love
Why Step Beyond?
Because it’s the brand that we’ve been working under with our design and market research heads on for the past 20+ years. When I (Penny) set up my own independent market research agency in 1999 I chose the brand name ‘Step Beyond’ and it remains entirely relevant as we move into travel blogging – we want to help our readers do just that. Jonathan Lorie in his excellent book, The Travel Writer’s Way, writes: ‘beyond is where the risk and reward so often lie’. So we need to step beyond our normal boundaries and explore new places, new activities, new experiences, new foods, new people. Because life is for living!
Why have we started this travel blog?
Because we ourselves are embarking on the new adventures that the freedom of early retirement can offer – with the great proviso of limited financial means. You’ll never see us recommending anything expensive – unless we feel that the experience is absolutely worth the outlay.
Whilst searching for new places and new experiences we realised that many travel blogs are written by (and presumably read by) ‘young backpacker types’ filled with the invincibility and bravado of youth. Those targeted at more mature readers seem to focus on food and/or luxury travel. Now, we love good food but it doesn't govern our travel choices, and we can’t afford luxury travel, so those blogs lack relevance to us. And maybe to you too?
So, we decided to start a travel blog with the core goal of giving our readers the knowledge and therefore the confidence to step off the beaten track. And learn from our experiences and mistakes!
We wish to inspire people: it’s easy to return to the same place time and time again because you love it – but maybe you’d love somewhere else even more?
It may or may not work! At the time of writing the website has only recently gone live and our adult children are convulsed with laughter at the prospect of their Mum becoming a travel blogger. Please follow us, if only to prove them wrong!
What do we write about?
Travel, places and experiences that we love or think we’d love, which generally revolve around nature, mountains, wilderness and off-the-beaten track.
Learning about and understanding different cultures is important including affordable delicious food and wine. We want to explore sustainable travel and eco travel too (both green and economical!)
In addition, we want to include dog friendly places where we can take our beloved Draco the Labrador.
Essentially, we love travel where we’re immersed in the experience. We try not to cling to familiarity – we want to find something new, something special and we want precious memories. Don't get us wrong – we love ‘the familiar’ a lot of the time (e.g. my obsession with Slovenia and Graham’s obsession with the Alps) but we’re also relishing our new-found freedom to explore new places.
Please join us.
About Us
We met 25+ years ago with an immediate shared love of the outdoors. I (Penny) grew up in the country and spent my childhood roaming free in fields and woods, before heading to London for university and work, and then moving to New Zealand for 7 years.
Graham was (and still is) a keen rock climber, mountaineer, mountain biker and skier – basically loving everything to do with mountains. With Graham’s encouragement, I soon bought my first pair of walking boots and a trusty rucksack and we headed off together – albeit with three (often whinging) children in tow. The children soon however inherited our love of the outdoors and travel, and are now forging their own way in the world.
Lizzie spent 3 years travelling around South America and working in New Zealand, and this year (2023) did a three-month bikepacking trip around Europe (rescuing three abandoned puppies in the process). Chris has a ski and mountain biking YouTube channel, Canyon Adventures and spends a few weeks a year skiing in the French Alps. Jamie spent a year teaching English in China and this year did a four-month backpacking trip around South America. His next challenge is the South Downs Way 100.
They still come on some trips with us, and we’ve shared many adventures, laughs and new experiences over the years. They’ve (reluctantly) agreed to write the occasional guest post on some of their independent travels.
Slovenia
We discovered the wonders of Slovenia around 17 years ago and bought a holiday home there 15 years ago. It’s such an amazing country, with stunning alpine scenery, wildflower meadows, gorgeous forests, turquoise lakes and rivers, beautiful medieval towns, friendly people and delicious wine!
We love it and are looking forward to spending more time there – more blogs will undoubtedly ensue, but will focus on the areas outside the usual tourist trail of Bled, Bohinj, Ljubljana and Piran. Nowadays those places don't really justify Slovenia’s reputation of being ‘an undiscovered gem’ – in summer they are rammed!
