Our
“Featured Hobnailers” series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview
Terry and Rhonda Gilbert of Whitwell, Tennessee. The Gilberts are undertaking their first overseas adventure trip ever —
the Peruvian Odyssey — this
May 18 – June 3. Here is their story.
Q: Where do you live?
A: We live in the mountain area of Whitwell, TN, which is a small town famous for its Children’s Holocaust museum (truly…there is even a movie).
Q: What are your occupations?
A: (Terry)Â I am recently retired, but worked the last 30+ years in hospital maintenance, beginning at the former Whitwell Hospital and ending at Parkridge West in Jasper, TN. Before that, I worked as a coal miner for ten years. However, what I’ve enjoyed most is home construction, remodeling and woodcraft projects. Now, I just need to find the time to start some projects in my woodshop.
A: (Rhonda) I am a retired registered nurse. I worked in hospitals for a while but eventually made my career in home health, which was an adventure in itself. As much as I love books, I probably should have majored in English and library science so I could have happily hidden among dusty tomes day in and day out!
Q: How long have y’all been married? Kids?
A: We’ve been married 36 years! We have two adult children and one grandson who was born last August. Also, we have a 2 year old Golden Doodle, Strider, who hikes with us all the time, and two cats.
Q: How and when did you get into adventure travel? Where was your first out-of-country adventure?
A: (Terry) Going to Peru is our first actual “adventure travel,” though we travel regularly and always make an adventure of it. Our first time out of the country was going to Jamaica when our son was small. I’ve been to Guatemala a couple of times. We’ve been to Colorado several times and love RMNP and Estes Park in particular, as well as skiing in Steamboat Springs. We did get into Canada as part of an Alaskan cruise, and it was gorgeous.
(Rhonda) The upcoming
Peruvian Odyssey is the first one we have taken to be classified as such, though we make adventures of them all. Jamaica was our first out-of-country experience, but what an experience! It was more like a different planet than a different country. Colorado is glorious, and I’ll never forget being in tears singing “Rocky Mountain High” with our kids as we drove toward those indescribable snow-capped peaks. We’ve traveled to many of our western states, as well as southern gems like New Orleans, Charleston and the Outer Banks. Alaska was amazing and the ports of call were everything, but I can’t say I enjoy the cruise experience that much. Anywhere we go, we are going to be hiking and exploring on foot as much as possible because that is the only way to really experience a place, to see it, smell it, taste it, and absorb as much as possible.
Q: How did you discover Hobnail Trekking?
A: Tennessee Magazine! (Feb. 2023)Â That was a most intriguing article and we started looking at the different options to see if trekking was something we really wanted to try. We couldn’t get the idea out of our heads, talked about it all the time, signed up for the emails, read all the blogs, met Mark and Holly, then finally decided to make the big leap!
Q: Have you ever been to Peru? Why did you choose the Peruvian Odyssey?
A: (Terry) No, we’ve never been to Peru, but we’ve often talked about wanting to see it some day. Now, here we are!
A: (Rhonda) We originally wanted to be a little cautious and go on one of the shorter treks, specifically the one in the Umbria region of Italy. Life happened in all sorts of ways in 2024, making that unfeasible, and by 2025, that trek was gone. By then, the idea of a trek was so firmly entrenched that we started looking again. The Odyssey looked a bit intimidating at first, but the more we looked, the better we liked it, and decided that if we were going to do a trek, we may as well do a big one first and fully immerse ourselves in the experience. Once we started saying “when we go to Peru” instead of “if we go to Peru,” we decided to take the plunge and contact Hobnail to make it real.
Q: What are you most excited about regarding this trip?
A: (Terry) It’s an adventure into the unknown. Food, scenery, people, the whole shebang! I can’t wait!
A: (Rhonda) Haha! I alternate between being excited and terrified, but that’s how I approach every trip we’ve ever taken! However, I can’t wait to actually touch some of the ancient stone work, to smell the air in the mountains, taste a Pisco Sour (well, here I go with that sensory thing again). Peru is a place I have found fascinating since 4th grade social studies. Plus, it’s a trek without the suffering brought about by having to sleep on the ground and eat rehydrated camp food.
Q: What other destinations are on your bucket list for adventure travel?
A: (Terry) Ireland,
Scotland, and Switzerland. I would also like to have an opportunity to ski in Switzerland while I’m there.
A: (Rhonda) Hobnail’s
Andalucia Classic, New Zealand (a LOTR route…like galloping through the grasslands yelling, “For Rohan!”), the Lake District of England, good grief…there are so many. I totally agree with those picks of Terry’s, too. And, maybe a
safari, especially when our grandson is a little bigger.
The Peruvian Odyssey is a guided, 17-day, immersive experience encompassing the most iconic cultural and natural elements of Peru, including the Inca Trail, Salkantay Mtn., Rainbow Mtn., and Lake Titicaca. There are still available spots on the Gilberts’ May 18 – June 3, 2025 trip! See the details and reserve your spot today!
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