Former Teacher Collects Multiple Xplorer Maps’ Prints for “Family of Map Lovers”
During spring break this year, Joan Sullivan’s grandson visited Capital Reef, Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon National Parks and had the best time ever. For her grandson’s birthday this August, she has a big surprise for him: 10 national park maps created by Xplorer Maps.
“I thought it would be fun to get him all of the parks – not only the ones he went to, but ones he may go to,” Sullivan said. “He will soon be able to wallpaper his room with maps.”
A fourth-grade graduate, Kai has an extra incentive to visit national parks. He received a “passport” for free access to national parks for a year as part of the National Park Service’s Every Kid in a Park promotion.
A former school teacher, Sullivan has always been fascinated by maps, she said. “One of the most enjoyable things I get from maps is the sense of adventure – of imagining where I can travel and what I would see if I were able to go there. The wonderful drawings in Xplorer Maps help me imagine what will be there.”
One of her favorite travel destinations is Africa. In fact, she’s been there six times. Several years ago, at a gift show in San Francisco, she spotted the Xplorer Maps’ booth and saw the company’s hand-drawn map of Kenya. “I had to have one,” she said.
The map was currently out of stock, so Sullivan kept searching the Xplorer Maps’ website and emailing Greg Robitaille, the company’s president, to see when it would be out. In the meantime, she ordered a map of South Africa from Xplorer Maps’ artist Chris Robitaille for her granddaughter, Tayler, who was in a student abroad program at the University of South Africa. When the map for her granddaughter arrived on her doorstep, Sullivan said she was thrilled to see that Robitaille had included the Kenya map she had been eagerly awaiting.
Sometime later, when Sullivan saw Xplorer Maps’ ceramic coasters and note cards with Montana artwork on them, she knew she had to get them for her brother and sister-in-law in Bozeman. After that, she ordered the Montana map and other Xplorer Maps’ products for them. “They loved them so much.”
So far, Sullivan has nearly every national park map that Xplorer Maps has created, she said. She recently got email notices about three new maps that have been released – Shenandoah, North Cascades, and Denali. “I’ll probably have to have those too.”
“We are a family of map lovers,” she said.
Introducing the Xplorer’s Club
Over the years, we have noticed that, like Joan Sullivan, an increasing number of our customers are collecting multiple Xplorer Maps’ prints for their homes, offices, and cabins. They are also using our products for unique gift-giving options for friends and family, trying to connect people with special places. In the next few months, we will be forming the Xplorer’s Club for our loyal and devoted customers who buy multiple maps and high-end collector’s fine art prints. We will be offering our Xplorer’s Club members sneak previews of new releases, free shipping, online discounts, and other benefits. Stay tuned for details.