PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: September 6, 2026

Around the Route (“Around the Route,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information of visitors, members, subscribers, guests, and other users of aroundtheroute.com (the “Site”).

This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect when you use the Site, how we use that information, when information may be shared with service providers, and the choices and rights that may be available to you.

By using the Site, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We may collect information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use the Site, and information received through services used to operate the Site.

Information you provide. This may include your name, email address, account or membership information, messages submitted through contact forms, newsletter subscription information, comments, community submissions, and other information you choose to provide.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the Site, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring pages, pages viewed, approximate location derived from your IP address, and information about how you interact with the Site.

Cookies and similar technologies. The Site and its service providers may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to operate the Site or, where applicable and subject to your consent, support functionality, analytics, personalization, or other services. Additional information is provided in the “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” section below.

2. HOW WE USE INFORMATION

We may use information collected through the Site to:

provide, operate, maintain, and improve Around the Route and its services;
respond to questions, comments, requests, and other communications;
provide newsletters, updates, and other communications that you request or consent to receive;
administer accounts, memberships, community features, and other interactive services;
understand how visitors use the Site and improve its content, functionality, and user experience;
maintain the security, integrity, and reliability of the Site;
detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, misuse, security incidents, or other potentially prohibited activity;
comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and enforceable governmental requests; and
carry out other purposes disclosed to you when information is collected or with your consent.

We may also use aggregated or de-identified information for research, analytics, editorial planning, audience insights, and improvement of Around the Route where that information does not reasonably identify an individual.

3. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Around the Route and service providers used to operate the Site may use cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies. These technologies can help the Site function, remember preferences, understand how the Site is used, and, where applicable, support analytics, personalization, advertising, or other features.

Some technologies are necessary for the operation and security of the Site and may not require consent where permitted by applicable law. Other technologies may be activated only after you provide the consent required by applicable law.

The specific technologies available on the Site may change as Around the Route adds, removes, or updates services and features.

4. COOKIE CONSENT AND YOUR CHOICES

Around the Route uses a cookie consent management system to provide visitors with choices regarding certain cookies and tracking technologies.

Where consent is required, you may be presented with options to accept, deny, or manage certain categories of technologies. Your available choices may depend on your location and applicable law.

You may review or change your cookie preferences by selecting the privacy settings icon displayed on the Site. Changing or withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before the change or withdrawal.

Blocking or disabling certain technologies may affect the availability or operation of some Site features.

5. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Around the Route relies on third-party service providers to operate and support portions of the Site and its services. These providers may process information on our behalf or collect information through technologies integrated with the Site, subject to their respective roles and privacy practices.

Such services may include website hosting and infrastructure, content management, security, analytics, email and newsletter delivery, membership or account functionality, embedded media, podcast and video services, social media features, payment processing, and other technologies that Around the Route may use from time to time.

Third-party services may maintain their own privacy policies and terms. We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by those services when appropriate.

6. ANALYTICS AND SITE PERFORMANCE

Around the Route may use analytics and measurement services to understand how visitors access and use the Site, evaluate Site performance, identify technical issues, measure audience engagement, and improve content and services.

These services may collect information such as pages viewed, approximate geographic location, device and browser information, referral sources, interactions with Site features, and the date and time of visits.

Where required by applicable law, analytics technologies that are not strictly necessary will be used subject to your consent. You may manage applicable analytics preferences through the Site's cookie consent controls.

7. EMAILS AND NEWSLETTERS

If you subscribe to an Around the Route newsletter, request updates, contact us, or otherwise provide your email address, we may use that information to provide the communications you requested and to respond to you.

Where permitted by applicable law, we may also send information about Around the Route content, programming, podcasts, videos, community features, memberships, events, promotions, or other services that may be relevant to our audience.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link included in applicable messages. We may still send non-promotional communications when necessary, such as communications relating to your account, membership, transactions, security, requests, or changes to our policies or services.

8. ACCOUNTS, MEMBERSHIPS, AND COMMUNITY FEATURES

Around the Route may offer accounts, memberships, comments, community discussions, predictions, polls, contributor features, or other interactive services.

When you create or use an account or participate in these features, we may collect information associated with your participation, such as your name, email address, username, profile information, membership status, submissions, comments, preferences, and interactions with Site features.

Information that you intentionally submit to public or community areas of the Site may be visible to other users or the public. You should avoid posting personal information that you do not want others to see.

We may use account and community information to operate these features, administer memberships, communicate with users, enforce applicable rules or terms, maintain community safety, prevent misuse, and improve Around the Route.

9. ADVERTISING, SPONSORSHIPS, AND AFFILIATE CONTENT

Around the Route may display advertising, sponsored content, affiliate links, promotional partnerships, or other commercial content.

Where applicable, third parties involved in advertising or measurement may use cookies or similar technologies to provide, measure, or personalize advertising, subject to applicable law and the consent choices made available through the Site.

Around the Route may receive compensation when users interact with certain sponsored or affiliate content. Where appropriate, sponsored, advertising, or affiliate relationships will be identified or disclosed.

The use of advertising and related technologies may change as Around the Route develops its services. Where consent is required for advertising-related technologies, applicable choices will be provided through the Site's cookie consent controls.

10. SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMBEDDED CONTENT

The Site may contain links to or embedded content from third-party platforms, including social media networks, video platforms, podcast services, and other external services.

When you interact with embedded content or follow a link to a third-party service, that provider may collect information about your interaction in accordance with its own privacy practices. Depending on the technology involved and applicable law, certain embedded services may be restricted until you provide the required consent.

Around the Route does not control the privacy practices of third-party websites, platforms, or services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information or interacting with their services.

11. PAYMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS

Around the Route may offer paid memberships, subscriptions, products, services, event access, or other transactions through the Site.

When you make a purchase or other payment, payment information may be collected and processed by third-party payment processors or commerce providers. Around the Route may receive information relating to the transaction, such as your name, contact information, billing or transaction details, purchase information, payment status, and other information necessary to administer the transaction.

Around the Route does not necessarily receive or store complete payment card information when payment processing is handled directly by a third-party payment provider.

Payment providers process information according to their own terms, privacy policies, and security practices.

12. HOW WE DISCLOSE INFORMATION

Around the Route may disclose personal information when reasonably necessary to operate the Site and provide its services.

Service providers. We may disclose information to vendors, contractors, and service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, security, email delivery, membership services, payment processing, content distribution, and other operational support.

At your direction. We may disclose information when you direct us to do so, request an interaction with another service, or otherwise provide your consent.

Legal and safety purposes. We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; protect the rights, property, or safety of Around the Route, our users, or others; investigate fraud, abuse, or security incidents; or enforce applicable agreements, policies, or terms.

Business transactions. If Around the Route or assets associated with it are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale, transfer, or similar transaction, information may be disclosed or transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.

We may also disclose aggregated or de-identified information that does not reasonably identify an individual.

13. DATA RETENTION

Around the Route retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including providing and improving the Site and its services, maintaining accounts or memberships, fulfilling transactions, communicating with users, maintaining security, complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing agreements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the purpose for which it is processed, applicable legal requirements, and operational needs.

When personal information is no longer reasonably necessary, we may delete, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable requirements.

14. DATA SECURITY

Around the Route takes reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, internet transmission, electronic storage system, or security measure can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to, stored by, or processed through the Site.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of account credentials associated with your use of the Site and should notify us if you believe your account or information has been compromised.

15. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Around the Route is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site.

If we learn that personal information has been collected from a child under 13 in a manner that requires parental consent under applicable law, we will take reasonable steps to delete the information or otherwise address it as required by law.

If you are a parent or legal guardian and believe that a child under 13 has provided personal information to Around the Route, please contact us using the information provided in the “Contact Us” section of this Privacy Policy.

Certain features, memberships, promotions, contests, community activities, or other services may have additional age requirements. Where applicable, those requirements will be disclosed in connection with the relevant service.

16. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AND CHOICES

Depending on where you live and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These rights may include the ability to request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information; obtain information about how personal information is processed; receive a copy of certain information; withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; or object to or restrict certain processing.

You may also manage certain choices directly through the Site, including cookie preferences through the privacy settings controls and marketing email preferences through applicable unsubscribe links.

To submit a privacy-related request, please contact us using the information provided in the “Contact Us” section below. We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests. We will respond to valid requests as required by applicable law.

Exercising a privacy right will not result in unlawful discrimination against you.

17. U.S. STATE PRIVACY RIGHTS

Residents of certain U.S. states may have additional privacy rights under applicable state law. Depending on your state of residence and whether the applicable law applies to Around the Route, these rights may include requests to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of personal information and rights relating to certain uses or disclosures of personal information.

Some state laws also provide rights concerning the sale or sharing of personal information, targeted advertising, or certain forms of profiling. Where Around the Route is legally required to provide such choices, applicable mechanisms will be made available.

We may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and process your request. Where permitted by applicable law, you may also use an authorized agent to submit certain requests on your behalf.

If applicable law provides a right to appeal a decision concerning a privacy request, instructions for submitting an appeal will be provided with our response.

California Privacy Notice

California residents may have additional rights under California privacy law, subject to applicable thresholds, definitions, exceptions, and limitations.

Categories of personal information that Around the Route may collect are described in the “Information We Collect” section of this Privacy Policy. The purposes for which information may be used are described in “How We Use Information,” and the circumstances in which information may be disclosed are described in “How We Disclose Information.”

Around the Route does not intend to sell personal information for monetary consideration. Certain advertising, analytics, or similar activities may nevertheless be treated as a “sale” or “sharing” under some privacy laws depending on the technologies used and applicable legal definitions. Where Around the Route is legally required to provide an opt-out right for such activity, an appropriate mechanism will be made available.

18. GLOBAL PRIVACY CONTROL AND BROWSER SIGNALS

Certain browsers and devices may allow users to transmit privacy preference signals, including Global Privacy Control (“GPC”).

Where applicable law requires Around the Route to recognize a legally valid browser-based opt-out preference signal, we will process supported signals as required by applicable law.

Other browser settings or “Do Not Track” signals may not operate according to a uniform industry standard. Where no legal requirement applies, the Site may not respond to such signals in a standardized manner.

You may also use the Site's privacy settings and cookie consent controls to manage available cookie and tracking preferences.

19. INTERNATIONAL USERS

Around the Route is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from another country, your information may be processed in the United States or other countries in which service providers operate.

Privacy and data protection laws may differ between jurisdictions. Where applicable law requires particular safeguards for international transfers or processing of personal information, Around the Route and its service providers will address those requirements as applicable.

Users in jurisdictions that provide additional privacy rights may contact us using the information below to submit an applicable request.

20. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the Site, our services, technologies, business practices, or applicable legal requirements.

When we update this Privacy Policy, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Where required by applicable law, we may provide additional notice regarding material changes.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about our privacy practices.

21. CONTACT US

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or Around the Route's privacy practices, please contact:

Around the Route
Email: privacy@aroundtheroute.com
Website: aroundtheroute.com

Please include sufficient information for us to understand and respond to your request. For privacy-rights requests, we may request additional information when reasonably necessary to verify your identity or authority to make the request.