About Us
our mission
Birch Road Travel Company is committed to providing unparalleled service by establishing a relationship with our clients and crafting itineraries and experiences that exceed our clients' expectations, every time.
Meredith Zehnder
An experiential travel enthusiast, Meredith strives to make it easier for people to discover new destinations, cultures, and experiences. A PADI certified diver, she's visited most of the Caribbean, but also loves navigating European cities and their history. Some of Meredith's favorite destinations are Iceland, Grand Cayman, and Rome (but she also has three pairs of mouse ears).
Meredith is passionate about the immeasurable value travel brings to lives and believes everyone deserves to have amazing adventures, regardless of time constraints, age, and experience.
+1 847 668 7155
KELLY HIETT
Kelly has combined her engineering mindset with a lifelong love of travel to provide her clients wth exquisite experiences that match their wish lists and exceed their expectations. Her favorite places to visit include the Amalfi Coast and Ireland, and she never turns down an adventure in the US or Canadian National Parks!
Kelly loves the way travel breaks up routines and revitalizes the human spirit, and she's excited to help her clients step out of their "norm!"
+1 248 701 3307
The story behind Birch road
In 1937, Meredith's Grandmother, Ethel Rosenthal decided she wanted to see New York City. The 17 year old Chicagoan went to the bus station, bought a ticket, and went, without a chaperone (or permission from her parents). Not only did she have a blast, but she learned that the world is, in fact, accessible to everyone.
Ethel's passion for travel wasn't just about going somewhere, it was about being there: understanding the culture she was immersed in and connecting with the people she met. She infused her love for and curiosity of the world around her into her children and grandchildren, all of whom are avid travelers today. By the time Ethel passed at the celebratory age of 92, she'd traveled to every continent.
Ethel established a network of friends and "family" around the world, many of whom came to visit her and share the tales of their travels in the home she and her husband, Milton, built in Glencoe, Illinois, on the street Ethel named herself... Birch Road.
Welcome to our living room. Come on in and let's share some travel adventures!