Meet Our Founder

Jenn Alvarez Franz is a University of Miami graduate (Go Canes!) with a law degree from The George Washington University Law School. Her first job at age 15 was a tour guide at The Las Vegas Natural History Museum, where her love of history, storytelling, and sharing knowledge sparked. She has always had a keen love of travel, both on and off the beaten path. After a public service career as a Federal labor and employee relations attorney, she opened Meandering Map Tours as a way to share knowledge, build community, amplify community stories, and facilitate lifelong learning. As a licensed tour guide and member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides in Washington, D.C., Jenn combines her traveler background with her knowledge of the area that she has lived in for 20 years to create a unique and bespoke DC-centric experience for you!

Our Story

In the 1940s, cartographer Harold Fisk created a visual representation of the changes of the Mississippi River over the course of almost 300 years. Each change of the river was marked with a rainbow of colors, each one creating a memento of history. The map made it clear: one perspective sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River was not the whole story. In fact, it was only the beginning of a much deeper, much richer rainbow of history.

At Meandering Map Tours, we create a physical meander map of the Washington, D.C. Metro Region through tours, history themed events, and personalized DMV experiences. Through creating a fuller picture of the past, we hope to create a greater understanding of where we are today as a society, to evoke questions about what our role is in American history, and to highlight the communities which create the fabric of America. One of our primary goals is to amplify the stories of the communities and people who make the DMV so amazing.

All of the information we share is fully researched, using primary sources and materials from diverse perspectives. Our tours and events cover not only major moments and individuals in history, but also give voice to the stories, moments, and people whose legacies have faded with time.

We are a proud member of the D.C. Guild of Professional Tour Guides, the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Tourprenuer community, and the American Historical Association.