It may come as a surprise the number of cool things here that residents miss out on.

Sure, there are the biggies, like the Space & Rocket Center, the Huntsville Museum of Art, or the multitude of events at the Von Braun Center.

What about a few of the more uncommon experiences, such as aerial yoga, paranormal investigation, distillery tours, or even soaring? What if those adventures were led by passionate local subject matter experts? The answer is simple … Touronimo!

With the business blasting off like a rocket in September 2019, owner/CEO/chief adventuress Jenny Askins identified a real need for adventure in North Alabama. The experiences offered have all been well-received, most have been sell-outs, whether it be salsa dancing, cigar and bourbon events, ceramic glazing, or art journaling.

A Grissom High grad and a local to the core, Askins has a well-established background in the world of nonprofits. Much of her experience has focused on organizing and hammering out the details for events. Many of those events have been group activities and team-building exercises.

In developing Touronimo, Askins did her homework.

Jenny Askins: “I’ve always heard that it takes a year to get things going, so it’s been quite a year.” (Photo/Steve Babin)

While researching the top 10 tech companies, she happened upon Vayable – a San Francisco-based enterprise offering tours of area attractions, with local experts providing the experience. Many of the companies such as Vayable were in big cities and largely catered to an international clientele.

Using the information gleaned from Vayable, Askins tailored her business model to suit the interests of the North Alabama community. Experiences offered are primarily geared toward locals, with local experts hosting the adventures.

What’s in a name?

In the case of Touronimo, it’s everything. The company name was the result of a name generator app.

“When I decided to create a business, I kind of went to that to start off with to get some inspiration,” said Askins. “Creating something that sounds like something more fun.”

Once it all started coming together, a friend of Askins designed Touronimo’s catchy logo – an image of a city marker with feet, running around town.

While most new ventures face challenges and setbacks at the onset, most circumstances do not include a global pandemic, game-changing component.

When Askins opened for business in the fall of 2019, she could not have predicted the arrival of COVID-19 just months later. With a four-month shutdown, there was strong potential for the pandemic to upend her new business.

“I’ve always heard that it takes a year to get things going, so it’s been quite a year,” said Askins. “I was just kind of figuring it all out, learning my market and providing things that people were asking for.

“I had some really cool things ready in February, scheduled for March of 2020. I held onto the last minute, then realized it had to shut down.”

Touronimo was shut down from March until June, leaving Askins wondering about the future of the business.

“It was a mess. I didn’t really think I had anything left,” said Askins. “Then, a friend of mine said, ‘now that people are beginning to get out, you might be the only show in town. Just put something out there and see what happens.’”

And that is exactly what Askins did.

Former NASA engineer Jeff Irons puts a personal touch on his latest endeavor – Irons One Whiskey. (Photo by Steve Babin)

“I put on an aerial yoga class because I felt like it was distanced and safe enough, and I did a local distillery tour,” said Askins. “I did that, and they sold out with the number of seats we offered.

“So, I thought, ‘OK, maybe there is something still left.’ Maybe the timing was good for me.”

Then, each month, Askins would add another event to the mix, just to gauge interest. She found that people were ready to try new things, to get out and go places again.

In addition to new things added, there are three mainstay experiences offered each month: Aerial Yoga, Cigars & Bourbon, and the Irons One Whiskey Distillery tour at Lowe Mill.

Partnerships have also been another key to Touronimo’s success. Askins has developed strong partnerships with restaurants, area attractions, yoga and art studios, and local musicians.

Askins’ goal is to expand Touronimo throughout North Alabama.

“Last year I was trying to expand into Decatur, Florence, Guntersville, and some other cities,” said Askins. “I want to cover North Alabama.

“I didn’t make it last year, but I’m working on that this year. Anywhere there’s locals doing cool things.”