Family & Adventure Travel Specialist

Antarctica

I'm Rachel McDowell, founder of The Unfiltered Traveler.

After 24 years in the military, I traded leading troops for leading trips. And the skills translate better than you'd think. Preparation, honesty, thinking ten steps ahead, and caring deeply about the people I'm responsible for? That's the job description for both.

I predominantly work with women who are smart, capable, and busy who are done with the endless scrolling, second-guessing, and decision fatigue that comes with planning travel alone. You don't need more options. You need someone who listens closely, tells you the truth, and hands you the right ones.

I specialize in custom trip planning, adventure travel, and unique group experiences - including women's group trips to places like Iceland, Machu Picchu, and the Canary Islands. These aren't cookie-cutter tours. They're intentional, well-planned experiences for women who want adventure with a side of "someone else handled the logistics." I also plan family trips, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, and everything in between.

I've extensively in all sorts of ways - solo, with my family, and leading groups. I'm a wife, a mom to twin boys, and a reader who believes travel doesn't have to be chaotic or performative to be transformative. It just has to fit your real life.

I didn't start this business to sell trips. I started it because travel planning had become too noisy, too overwhelming, and too full of generic advice — and I wanted to do it differently. With honesty, intention, and real care.If that resonates, I'd love to help you travel confidently - in a way that fits who you are right now.