Make New Friends, See New Places, Do cool stuff.
come have fun with us!
We are a vibrant community of 25-45-year-olds who love to travel and go SOLO together. We meet new friends on every adventure.
Some of our travelers…
- Work from Home: Many of our travelers work remotely and feel alone, craving the friendship and connection that travel brings.
- Different Life Stages: Some of us are at different stages of life compared to our friends and are looking for new experiences and connections.
- Need a Break: Whether going through a tough time or just needing a break, we understand the importance of getting away to recharge and refresh.
- Hassle-Free Planning: We know time is precious, and planning a trip can be daunting. That’s why we take care of everything for you, with no hidden fees or surprises.
- Solo Travel: 90% of our members choose to travel solo, though some bring a friend along for the adventure.
Join our Friend Group
Sign up to connect with your new travel buddies, early access to new trips, special discounts, and more!
What You’ll Find with Us:
Premium Experiences:
Don’t expect the usual budget travel here. We provide high-quality, top-tier adventures without compromise.
Experiences you can’t DIY:
We plan experiences that forge actual, meaningful, friendships. Ones that create memories that will fill the group chat with laughter years later.
Clear Pricing:
With us, what you see is what you get – no hidden fees, no surprises.
Exceptional Leaders:
More than just guides, our leaders are passionate, experienced, and dedicated to making your journey both fun and enriching.
HOW IT STARTED
Hello new travel besties!
Sarah and Grace, remote workers living in new states, faced a common challenge: finding like-minded friends. Tired of repetitive routines and unfulfilling small talk, they craved meaningful friendships and new experiences. They looked into taking a trip together to meet new people and all they found were budget trips with so many hidden costs. You want dinner? That’s extra. You want to go rafting? That’s extra. NOT FOR US. That’s when they decided to take action and create something unique. Thus, Orange Bear was born.
Making friends is HARD. Finding like-minded travel buddies, even harder. Orange Bear Travel fills this void. We’re here to forge over a hundred thousand strong connections through the thrill of travel, uniting like-minded individuals.
We carefully curate our groups to ensure you’re traveling with potential friends from the get-go, aiming for that perfect group dynamic that makes every experience memorable.
SARAH fischer/HERRMAN – CO-FOUNDER
Sarah works on creating one-of-a-kind trips for Orange Bear along with heading up Operations. Her favorite things are being a mom to her young daughters, traveling, a good series on Netflix, and finding new and unique foodie spots. Sarah graduated from The University of Mount Olive where she played Division II Lacrosse and obtained a business degree.
Grace Kalan – CO-FOUNDER
Grace heads up the trip coordination department making sure each trip executes perfectly.
She thrives in the natural world and embraces the beauty of outdoor environments. She is characterized by her love for adventure, a strong connection to nature, and a passion for outdoor activities. Whether hiking through mountain trails, camping under the stars, kayaking in serene waters, or conquering challenging terrains, she seeks excitement, and fulfillment in the great outdoors.
LINDSAY RUE
Lindsay is our Guest Manager with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She is a dog mom and Marine Corps spouse who enjoys cooking and creating new recipes, finding a new favorite bottle of wine, as well as camping and golfing in her free time. Originally from California, she has lived in various locations such as Japan, North Carolina, and New Mexico, which has given her a unique perspective on the needs and expectations of travelers. She is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and ensuring travelers have a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Jordan HERRMAN
Jordan is the Vice President of Operations at Big Hat Outdoors. Originally from New Jersey, he has also lived in California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and outside the US in Denmark where he lived through his childhood and youth.
Jordan has always had a deep passion for the outdoors and pursued hunting after graduating from the University of Mount Olive, where he played lacrosse. Before joining the Orange Bear team, Jordan coached youth, high school, and college lacrosse for 8 years.
Jordan participates in a variety of hunting and shooting sports. His favorite hunting pursuits include big-game archery and upland hunting with his dogs. Jordan now resides in Minnesota with his wife, daughter, and dogs, Balou and Ollie.
MERCY SELLS
Mercy grew up in The Last Frontier in Anchorage, Alaska. From early childhood, she was exposed to wilderness adventures in the great outdoors. Whether she was running in the mountains, canoeing from the foot of Portage Glacier, skiing on the vast trail systems, orienteering through wilderness territory, shooting at the Cook Inlet range, moose hunting with friends, hiking remotely with bear bells, or fishing for Alaskan salmon and halibut, she never strayed far from her love for adventure and the outdoors. Her sense of adventure has continued to develop as she has lived in Oregon, Minnesota, California, and Colorado. Mercy currently resides with her family in Las Vegas, NV.
Mercy’s business career has been as eclectic as her outdoor experiences. Including a wide array of specialties such as sales, marketing, hospitality, luxury travel, branding, and hunting and fishing sales and partnerships.
Brooke Vescio
Brooke was born and raised in Minnesota and has a passion for travel. She and her husband Tanner ensure travel is in the budget for 3-4 annual trips! Some of the coolest places she’s traveled to include Italy, Hawaii, the red rocks of Sedona, the UP of Michigan, the mountains of Colorado, and more. When traveling she loves to hike, try new restaurants/coffee shops, listen to live music, and explore history. Brooke is a Social Media guru, and is the Co-Owner/Co-CEO of Multiplieddd, a Social Media Marketing Agency. She also loves sharing travel, faith, fashion, renovation and lifestyle content on Instagram/TikTok @brooke.vescio!
Madie Saba
A devoted wife, and mother of three, is the passionate Founder of Multiplieddd, a dynamic social media agency. Her zest for life extends to her love for travel and forging new connections. Her early 20s visit to San Diego, CA, stands out, where she fell captivated by its scenic beauty while visiting her Marine husband. This led her to call San Diego home for four years. She loves ahi-tuna poke bowls, coffee, walks, german shepherds, and warm weather! She also loves connecting with other like-minded women on Instagram @madiesaba!
Sara Barthel
Sara grew up in Iowa, went to college in Minnesota, lived in Guatemala for 2 years and spent 13 years in San Diego before relocating to Texas Hill country with her husband. She is a functional medicine nutritionist and former marathon, ultramarathon and Ironman athlete, but these days is more into yoga. She’s always up for an adventure…as long as it isn’t after 9pm! Sara loves cooking, reading, red wine, and experiencing new places and cultures.
Alisa Lewnau
Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure and family, Alisa also received her Associate’s degree from the Minnesota School of Business. Upon receiving her degree, Alisa took a few years off to be with her kids as they traveled through their beginning stages of childhood. Alisa’s children are very active in sports (Baseball, Football, Dance, Gymnastics and Basketball) and most of her free time is spent supporting them with their aspirations and activities. Her ultimate passion in life is family; enjoying nature walks, travel and time together. Alisa spends most of her leisure time with her family at their cabin in Northern Minnesota enjoying the great outdoors and participating in various open-air endeavors.
Alisa wears a variety of hats for Gage Outdoors since 2018 by executing a wide range of tasks behind the scenes in support of Team Gage Outdoors. In addition to financial assistance for Gage Outdoors and its patrons, Alisa expedites and finalizes daily hunts while maintaining the calendar for all events.
Jim and Sarah Kern
Meet two of our Orange Bear Hosts!
Jim and Sarah Kern are a brother/sister duo that have followed in the footsteps of their published author grandfather’s love for travel and the great outdoors.
They began their world traveling at an early age with family and have continued to explore as adults on their own and with groups.
ANGIE TROVIK
Angie Trovik is Manager of Accounting & Human Resourcse for BBGage. Angie began her Gage Outdoor Expeditions story back in 2001. Over the years, Angie has seen the travel booking agency expand and contract with the economy and experienced an everchanging expanding selection of premier hunting and fishing destinations in the Gage portfolio of offerings. In her current position, Angie is responsible for maintaining the accounting and trip booking databases, the staffing needs and all things financial. Angie grew up fishing and camping and has always enjoyed the outdoors. She has passed on this passion to her husband and children.
BENJ FLORES – WEBMASTER
Benj is from Pagadian City, Philippines. He is also an outdoor enthusiast and loves traveling and exploring with his wife and 3 children. He sometimes goes out with his friends for a long ride on motorbikes crossing city to cities. He also loves camping, beaches, parties, whiskey and beer. He has a degree in Information Technology. He started working as a freelance website developer in 2011. He is also involved in the development of Gage Outdoors and Big Hat Outdoors.