About Us
Heyterra is an online travel publication for families looking to discover the world together, better.
Any parent will tell you: traveling with kids can be exhausting, rewarding, and all things in between. But it is possible to do it in a way that both kids and parents love (we promise!), and help us feel more connected to the world around us— and each other.
We spotlight everything from off-the-beaten path and independent travel experiences to simple and sustainable city breaks, tailored to seasoned travelers and family explorers alike; tips designed for new parent travelers, interviews, positive impact travel resources, and much, much more. We’re here to share not only the countless benefits of travel for kids, but how families can use travel as a tool to educate, inspire and improve the world. See you out there!
Mission
As we move further into the 2020s, it’s no question travelers are seeking experiences that leave a positive imprint on the planet, and family travelers are an essential part of it— after all, we’ve got the next generation growing up under our roofs.
We believe that travel has the potential make us all better global citizens— by reimagining the way we explore the world (visiting lesser-known destinations, prioritizing local experiences, or jumping in to help wildlife and the environment, to name a few) we feel more connected to the natural world, the cultures and places we visit, and in the end, to each other. Travel this way can instill hope, nurture cross-cultural friendships, support communities, biodiversity and nature, and when done right, can change the world.
Samantha Runkel is the founder and editor of Heyterra. Thanks to her travel photographer husband and their two children, she brings almost a decade of family travel expertise to the table. She came up with the idea of HT because there wasn’t an online space for positive impact travel with kids in tow, a seemingly impossible combination.
A former recording artist and songwriter from California, she is also a sustainability advocate and activist across different spaces, from plastic initiatives to producing music with communities on the front lines of climate change. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in Media Communications, Sociology and English.
Her husband, Michael, has traveled to all 193 U.N. countries in the world and a majority of its provinces, with one of the most extensive photo libraries of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world to date. His images have appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet and more.
They live in Bavaria, Germany, and continue to travel during school holidays (but not without a valid eye-roll from their daughter when she finds out they’ll be doing a ”UNESCO tour”).