Traveling full-time for the last 14 years through 91 countries across all 7 continents, Mike & Anne Howard are on The World’s Longest Honeymoon. Using Anne’s background as a magazine editor and Mike’s as a digital media strategist and photographer, the Howards launched HoneyTrek.com in 2011 to chronicle their travels, and have since written and photographed National Geographic’s bestselling book on couples adventure travel, Ultimate Journeys for Two, as well as the Lowell Thomas award-winning glamping guidebook, Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America. Their storytelling has gained a following of 400,000 across HoneyTrek's social media channels. The Howards love sharing off-the-track destinations, unique accommodations, big adventures, sustainability successes, and the human stories that make each place so special.
Where did their travel bug recently lead them? Why to none-other-than the Rocket City, of course. The Howards fell in love with Huntsville - it's small town feel, yet big city offerings. From a painting class at Lowe Mill to exploring downtown and the mansions of Twickenham to dining at Domaine South, they savored their time in our city and made a list of their favorite things. We asked HoneyTrek to share their favorite adventures. These must dos are not to be missed, by both residents and visitors. When asked if they would return - resounding 'yes'.
1. Tell us a little about your story and how you began traveling and content creation.
We had a dream to take a one-year honeymoon around the world and start our life together with unforgettable experiences. We created our blog HoneyTrek.com to share our travels with family and friends. Within a few months, HoneyTrek started gaining a following, then by 500 days, big publications started calling our journey “The World’s Longest Honeymoon.” This boost of confidence, plus the realization that long-term travel was far more affordable and fulfilling than we ever imagined, inspired us to keep going for another year, then another. 5,048 days later, we are still traveling full-time without a home base and storytelling for a living.
2. What do you most love about travel?
The people we meet! We are constantly amazed by the kindness of strangers and how much there is to learn from other cultures. In addition to connecting with locals, everywhere from Himalayan villages to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We've also made friends with travelers from around the world creating a truly global community of friends.
3. What was your favorite experience in Huntsville and why?
It's impossible to pick just one, but we really adored Lowe Mill. 150+ artist studios, weekly workshops, concerts, and so many cool cultural events in one historic space offers such an incredible resource and a fountain of inspiration for Huntsville and its visitors. We love that the building retains its gritty charm and that artists are using the spaces in so many unique ways. For the full experience, we signed up for a painting class and even though we're pretty terrible at fine art, our teacher Yuri Ozaki helped us make a watercolor we are actually proud of! When class was over, Concerts on The Dock was in full swing and we were dancing with the best of them. When the fun seemed like it was over, Chef Will the Palette (of vegetarian food truck fame) waved us over for a little dinner after-party. We chatted with some new local friends about vegan life for over an hour. We loved the serendipity and inclusivity of this place. What a treasure to Huntsville Lowe Mill is.
4. What was unique about Huntsville?
We've never seen so many creative reuse projects in a city of this size. Stovehouse, Lowe Mill, Campus 805, and other once-defunct spaces have been turned into fun hang-spots. And even better, the city takes such pride in this that they have centered the Arts & Entertainment Districts around them. Letting people move from brewery to speakeasy with their magical purple cups makes exploring the city all the more fun.
5. If you had to narrow down your top 5 things to do in Huntsville, what are they?
- Catch a concert at The Orion
- Take an Art Class at Lowe Mill
- Wander the Mansions of Twickenham
- Stay at Monte Sano's Historic Cabins
- Eat at Domaine South
- See the real-time discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope at the US Space & Rocket Center's Intuitive Planetarium
6. Would you return?
Absolutely we would! We definitely needed more time at the US Space & Rocket Center, and we barely scratched the surface in Madison County's great outdoors. The waterfalls and limestone caverns in your area look like a breathtaking adventure!
7. What was your favorite meal in Huntsville?
We loved the artsy vibe and fine dining experience at Domaine South. Plus, it's rare to find a happy hour with such good wines, cocktailis and mocktails, and charcuterie boards with vegan cheese and fig salami! Domaine South is a gem.
8. How would you describe Huntsville in one sentence?
Huntsville is a little city dreaming big!!
Anne and Mike's next big project? A global quest for the world's most inspiring outdoor getaways for a second edition of Comfortably Wild, publishing in hardback for Simon & Schuster. You can follow all of Anne and Mike's adventures @honeytrek .
We've never seen so many creative reuse projects in a city of this size. Stovehouse, Lowe Mill, Campus 805, and other once-defunct spaces have been turned into fun hang-spots.