Meet Erin Egbert... one of our fearless leaders here at River Ventures! Erin started as a kayak instructor, CDL bus driver, and shop girl with us 4 years ago and now she is the Manager of our Crystal River location. She spends a good portion of her time with scheduling, booking systems, and technology but also focuses on fleet management and boat reports. She is truly a 'Jill of All Trades' that has never lost her passion for outdoor adventure!
Erin was born and raised in Amherst, New Hampshire. Amherst is a small town of 11,000 people... that were excited to get their very own Walmart in 2002! It's also home to the Ponemah Wildlife Sanctuary and the Hodgeman State Forest where Erin first found her passion for Nature and exploration. She came to escape the cold winter of 2013, and hasn't left Citrus County yet! Her grandmother, who is also a kayak guide and avid dragon boat racer (shout out to Donna!!) was the original reason she was called to the area.. but now, it just feels like home! Once Erin saw the manatees and all the wild waterways of the area she was hooked... and hasn't looked back. In-water guide JJ came here with Erin years ago... and we are pretty sure they are living happily ever after in the tiny house they built with their own hands, just miles from River Ventures. Actually, Erin and JJ are just wrapping up construction of the 2nd 'tiny house' on their property that they call the 'The Red Barn Retreat'. They hope to have this available on Air BnB in the next month or so! Check it out... it's the perfect spot to stay and relax for a day or two; spend your mornings paddling or swimming with the 'cows of the sea' and spend your evening hanging out with the 'cows of the pasture' that are Erin's neighbors!!
Erin travels a lot and has family in Vermont, Oregon, and Virginia. She actually met JJ in Vermont while visiting her father, and they have been inseparable ever since! She loves to stand up paddle boarding, camping, build things, and wrestle grizzly bears! Okay, well Grizzley isn't a bear exactly, he is her schnauzedore (lab and giant schnauzer rescue pup) that has become an irreplaceable part of our shop staff!! Erin was an English instructor in Ukraine for 2 years and took her summers off to travel Europe. She came to us with a CDL just when we needed a bus driver... and I may have chased her down in a parking lot and stolen her away from a competitor!! We knew she was special and would be an incredible, useful and critical part of our team dynamic! Looking back, I must say, I'm so glad I got off my butt and ran after her that fateful night!! Both our lives were changed forever!
Erin loves the challenges that we are faced with daily and prides herself in being a problem solver. The RV crew can be unruly and wacky... Erin keeps us all in line making sure that the balls don't get dropped and the vessels all run! There is NEVER a dull moment in the world of River Ventures... and it certainly doesn't hurt that she gets to bring her beloved Grizzly to work every day; he sparkles every time he sees someone he loves and adds so much to our customers' experience. Sometimes they seem just as excited to meet the dog, as they are to meet a manatee!!
Erin would love to introduce all our readers to Crystal River and Citrus County as a World-Class destination. It's truly is a hidden gem and worth making a stop for a few days while traveling Florida. She knows that this is a place you will never forget, and you may never want to leave! Be careful, or you just may end up with a tiny house in Crystal River living near land cows and swimming with the cows of the sea...... just like Erin. We wouldn't want it any other way.