It’s not often you find a professional football player who tackles aggressively on the field but takes a mindful, compassionate approach to leading other outdoor experiences. Yet, that’s exactly what Bobby Massie and his wife, Angel, do. In 2024, they launched Wanderland Outdoors, a Colorado-based, luxury outdoor outfitter.

Before Bobby Massie spent a decade playing for the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and, most recently in 2021, the Denver Broncos, he grew up cooking outside, over an open fire. His grandma owned a diner in Lynchburg, Virginia and fostered a love of food and cooking within him.

“We fell in love over being outside and in nature,” says Angel Massie. “The reason my husband and I started Wanderland Outdoors is because we wanted people to experience nature in the way that we do — in a mindful way, with present-moment awareness … on purpose, immersing and healing yourself through nature.”

With a mission to enhance diversity and provide elevated luxury experiences in the outdoor sector, Wanderland Outdoors offers guided fly-fishing trips, mindful hiking and horseback riding and the Food x Fire Experience, a three-course culinary adventure prepared by Bobby Massie. He curates Food x Fire menus based on guest preferences. Options can include rainbow trout, snapper, shrimp, crab, grilled wagyu or four-hour-hung chicken, along with vegetables and dessert. The couple grows the herbs and vegetables on their homestead in Larkspur. Food x Fire can be a stand-alone experience or added to any excursion.

“The meal prepared by chef Bobby is something beyond remarkable,” says LeCharles Bentley, a Cleveland, Ohio resident. “His passion for quality ingredients and open-flame cooking shines brightly.”

Wanderland Outdoors provides fly fishing on private and public lands in places like Bailey, Lake George and Rocky Mountain National Park. Other locations for fly fishing and hiking include areas in Eagle, Summit, Boulder and Gunnison counties. Horseback riding takes place at Brown Family Ranch in Steamboat Springs. Full-day trail riding and fly fishing include gourmet meals.

Each experience emphasizes a culture of diversity, kindness, environmental stewardship and respect for indigenous lands. All of the guides subscribe to present-moment awareness, radical compassion and cultural competence. The BIPOC-owned company commits to providing access to the outdoor industry to populations that might not otherwise immerse themselves in nature.

“I don’t consider myself an ‘outdoors’ person, but this experience transformed my relationship with the idea of a nature experience,” Bentley says. “The painstaking attention to detail by Angel Massie exceeded the service of global bespoke standards. When this standard of excellence is then paired with a world-class culinary, it’s a can’t-miss experience … It’s a dynamic experience, and I’m not sure if it’s nature I enjoyed the most or the passion for perfection on display from Angel and Bobby Massie.”

Before launching Wanderland Outdoors, Angel Massie spent decades working in the nonstop-deadline media world as a journalist, columnist, scriptwriter, television producer and host. Her work has appeared on BET, Complex, Vibe, Essence, ABC, the Real News Network and TV One.

In 2015, her mom passed away suddenly, so she threw herself even deeper into work. Four years later, she started having panic attacks because she hadn’t properly grieved, she says. She turned to therapy, which led her into mindfulness and ultimately inspired her to become a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide.

“Observing my pain without having to be a part of it really helped me heal,” she says. “I found solace in mindfulness and meditation, and it turned my life around in the way that I think, in the way that I exist and in the way that I exist in nature.”

Her mindful hiking experience begins with centering and breathwork and continues by mindfully moving across the land and meditating in the forest. It ends with a group talk around the fire, along with locally brewed tea and refreshments.

The team customizes each experience for every client, from catching a bunch of fish to simply meandering along the riverside, with special attention to each person’s needs, experience level and desires. Guests can request specific guides based on online bios. Currently, Wanderland Outdoors has four wranglers, 12 fly fishing guides, two mindful hike guides and, of course, chef Bobby.

In the year they’ve been open, guests already have deepened their appreciation of the land and called the outfit the best guide service in Colorado, Angel Massie says.

“My Wanderland experience was more than I could imagine,” says Kristin Jones of Los Angeles.

“They designed an experience that made me feel safe to explore nature and the world in ways I never imagined I could as a Black woman — all led and curated by an intentional team that looks like me, shares my respect for nature and truly understands the meaning of luxury.”

Originally published in the summer 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Wanderland Outdoors: Fostering Mindfulness + Diversity Through Luxury Excursions