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
Meredith believes unforgettable adventures should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, timeline, or travel style.
A certified Iceland Specialist and PADI-certified diver, Meredith has traveled the world and designs itineraries from a place of genuine, firsthand experience. She works with families, couples, solo travelers, and groups to create trips that feel personal, thoughtful, and refreshingly easy — turning dreamy ideas into seamless, real-world itineraries. To her, the best trips are about more than landmarks; they’re about conversations with locals, meals that linger long past sunset, and experiences that change the way you see the world.
Whether she’s swapping stories on a Caribbean dive boat, exploring ancient streets with her own family, or helping clients step outside their comfort zones, Meredith knows travel is at its best when it creates real connection.
Great travel is about more than checking boxes. It’s about exploring deeper, wandering farther, and making it all feel effortless along the way.
+1 847 668 7155
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KELLY HIETT
Kelly uses her engineering background for every trip she plans. She has a knack for turning big wish lists into beautifully crafted itineraries that feel effortless, personal, and just a little bit magical.
She specializes in family travel, with a strong belief that experiencing the world together from a young age helps shape curious, confident humans. For Kelly, travel is not just about where you go, but about opening kids’ eyes to new cultures, foods, and ways of life, and showing them that memories and shared experiences matter more than things.
She believes great travel breaks routines, sparks curiosity, and creates stories families carry with them long after the bags are unpacked. Her favorite part of the job is helping parents move past the stress of planning and into trips that feel meaningful, joyful, and truly connected.
With Kelly, the plan is always thoughtful. The details are always handled and the experience is always worth the trip.
+1 248 701 3307
becca bennett
Becca is a Disney travel specialist who believes the magic should start long before you walk through the gates. With a calm, strategic approach, she takes the stress out of planning so you can focus on what matters: being present and making memories.
She plans everything from Disney parks and cruises to Aulani and Adventures by Disney, working with families, adult groups, and travelers with special needs.
Already booked? Becca also offers concierge-level planning — building out day-by-day itineraries with Lightning Lane strategy, dining reservations, and park timing.
For Becca, the magic is in the details — and yes, she’s thought of everything so you don't have to.
+1 703 835 4043
The story behind Birch road
In 1937, Meredith's grandmother, Ethel Rosenthal, decided she wanted to see New York City. At just 17 years old, the Chicago native walked into a bus station, bought a ticket, and went — no chaperone, no permission, just curiosity and courage. She didn’t just have a blast — she discovered something far greater: the world is accessible to everyone.
For Ethel, travel wasn’t just about going somewhere. It was about being there — immersing herself in new cultures, connecting with strangers, and finding meaning in unfamiliar places. She passed that spirit on to her children and grandchildren, all of whom are avid travelers today.
By the time Ethel passed — at the celebratory age of 92 — she had visited every continent.
Along the way, she built a global web of friends and chosen family, many of whom visited her in the home she and her husband, Milton, built in Glencoe, Illinois — on the street Ethel named herself: Birch Road.
So welcome to our living room.
Come on in — let’s swap some travel stories.