Meet Beekman 1802 Founders Josh & Brent: Goat Farmers, Travelers & Game Show Champions

Name: Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge.

Hometown: Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (JKP) and Randleman, North Carolina (BR).

Occupation: Goat farmers and co-founders of Beekman 1802.

Favorite destinations:
JKP: Generally wherever we just came from and wherever we’re going next.
BR: We rarely visit the same place twice, but the one place we both dream about returning to is Lamu Island, Kenya. On the north side of the island is the town of Lamu, a collision of medieval cultures. On the southern tip is a remote outcropping of huts perched on the shores of the phosphorescent sea.

Dying to visit:
JKP: The Maldives.
BR: Antartica. (We’ve learned how to take turns.)

Bizarre travel rituals:
JKP: One new pair of shoes. I hate packing more than one pair of shoes since they take up so much room and are generally dirty from the farm, so I try to find a new pair that will span the needs of the trip, from casual to dressy to beachy.
BR: I have to unpack my suitcase and do laundry immediately upon returning … even if it's at 3 a.m. I like to wake up the next morning with memories, not chores.

In-flight relaxation regimen:
BR: Ambien.
JKP: Rom-Coms.

Always in carry-on:
BR: Our Beekman 1802 face wipes. We’ve used them for everything from refreshing on the plane to bathing in the Kalahari Desert.
JKP: Dark chocolate.

Concierge or DIY?
BR: DIY. Our favorite part of travel is asking locals for recommendations.
JKP: We often find ourselves dining with the locals we meet. Sometimes in their homes.

See it all or take it easy?
BR: See it all.
JKP: Brent’s naturally more adventurous than I am, so we’ve made an agreement to always have our last day of travel be a spa one so I can relax before traveling home.

Drive or be driven?
BR: Be driven or take public transport. I’m a terrible driver, and Josh hates to drive.

Travel hero:
JKP: My gay uncles. They traveled around the world from the 1940s through the 1970s, going to places that would still be considered remote today. We try to carry on their bon vivant spirits.

Weirdest thing seen on travels:
JKP: We traveled to a small rural farm in India where the family had never seen a digital display. Most of the family shied away from seeing video of themselves on our phones, however one young boy immediately started taking selfies with no instruction from us. It was like he was born a Kardashian.

Favorite hotel:
JKP: Hotel La Perouse in Nice, France, because even though I only stay there every five years or so, they have notes on my visits that date all the way back to my college backtracking trip.

We dream about the meal at Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso in Vinales, Cuba. True farm-to-table simplicity and authenticity.

Best hotel amenity: Beekman 1802. Seriously. We began offering Beekman 1802 hotel amenities because we learned that even major brands cut corners on their amenity versions.

Favorite childhood travel memory:
BR: My grandparent’s cottage on the North Carolina shore.
JKP: Family road-trips through the western U.S. Everywhere I go, I check out the local farms. We’ve picked up many tips.

When we arrive in a new place, I learn the lay of the land by going to the coffee shop nearest the hotel and asking random strangers what we should see.

We always bring home:
BR: Strange, local packaged snack foods. They make great conversation starters when entertaining at home later.
JKP: Recipes.

If we never return to the Frankfurt airport again, it'll be too soon because we got delayed there twice during our time on The Amazing Race, nearly causing us to be eliminated both times. We still refer to bad luck as being Frankfurted.

We travel for the gift of living and the fear of missing.