About Us

Travel Your Backyard, a subsidiary of America 4 You L.L.C., is run by a very successful partnership, husband and wife Marita & Malcolm Ross and daughter Lena. After “getting her feet wet” in the tourism industry by working for Cruise America Motorhome Rentals, Marita moved on to work for one of the leading tour operators, first as Operations Manager, then as Product Manager. Realizing a big tour operator cannot provide as detailed a service as a small company can and believing in “quality over quantity” she decided to strike out on her own. In 1994, convinced that their in-depth knowledge and love of the West could be used to select the best product line possible, and with the encouragement of the of the many state offices, Marita and Malcolm founded America 4 You L.L.C., whose company motto is: “We are a small company – on purpose!”. They were later joined by their daughter Lena, who shares their love for the American West. Lena has a master’s degree in Tourism and is on the Executive Board of IITA.

Specializing in products that require extensive research and time investment like ranch stays and outdoor adventures (including but not limited to cattle & horse drives, ATV tours, pack trips, river rafting, many very unique “National Park Adventures”, Native American programs, winter adventures like dog sledding and snowmobiling, and much more), they quickly became known as the company to turn to concerning specialty programs.

All three of them have traveled extensively in the Western United States and Canada, investing countless hours in learning about the products and regions of the West and beyond. They believe in a hands-on approach to product research and have acquired in-depth knowledge through experience. This knowledge base is maintained by regular exploration of new opportunities.

Travel Your Backyard strives to ensure that each visitor will experience the same love and enthusiasm for the incredible beauty and hospitality of the USA that keeps them “coming back for more”!

“For all these years we were busy showing international visitors the amazing diversity of the North America landscapes. Then we started asking ourselves – why not share our passion with the American traveler as well? And so we created Travel Your Backyard ”

– Marita Founder

Marita has been passionate about exploring the amazing landscape of North America since moving to the US in 1982 – her motto is “a lifetime is not enough to see it all – but I can sure try!”. Marita has traveled the US extensively and is Travel Your Backyard’s expert for the West Coast. Outdoor adventures, ranch stays – she enjoys putting together the “perfect trip” and is most happy if visitors return home with the same love she has for the great outdoors!

Malcolm has been a skier since growing up in Wisconsin and learning to ski on a one-pulli local hill! Nowadays there is almost no ski area in North America he hasn’t skied yet – therefore Malcolm is Travel Your Backyard’s go-to expert when it comes to “cold” adventures. As an expert skier, he can suggest the perfect winter destination, be it for skiing, snowmobiling, dogsledding, or anything else fun to do in the snow! And in the summertime, trail biking and hiking are his jam.

Lena loves the open road and has driven all around the US, usually solo with just her dog BFF in tow. So if you are ready to hit the road, she can help you find the best off the beaten track spots and a trip that isn’t what all your friends are doing. She’s also an avid scuba diver and has dove all over California and Florida.

Devin shares his love for the snow with Malcolm, though his passion is snowboarding (and snowmobiling, but who doesn’t love that??). Just like Malcolm, Devin can point you to the perfect ski resort for shredding! He also loves off-roading so if you want to take your own Jeep on the road or find the best place to take an off-road tour, he’s your guy.