Van Taylor | Off Duty — Hunting, Skiing, Running, Cooking

Hunting

Hunting is a strong tradition in my family, and one of the finest ways I know to spend time outdoors with good people. There is no substitute for a cold morning in a deer stand: the quiet, the patience, and the conversation that only happens when the phones stay in the truck.

For four generations, my family has hunted in Midway, Alabama, where I host hunt weekends with friends old and new. We eat well, tell stories, and remember that some of life's best business gets done far from any conference room.

Van Taylor and Makena Timmins quail hunting at Midway, Alabama, with a pointer in the foreground — Quail at Midway — October 2026

Van Taylor and Makena Timmins with an eight-point buck taken by crossbow at Midway, Alabama — Midway eight-pointer — October 2026

Van Taylor and Makena with a Himalayan tahr, New Zealand — Himalayan tahr

Van Taylor and Makena with a red stag, New Zealand — New Zealand red stag

Van Taylor glassing for game in the New Zealand high country — Glassing in the high country

Van Taylor with a whitetail buck in the snow — Whitetail in the snow

Van Taylor and Makena after a successful deer hunt — With Makena, after a good evening

Van Taylor and Makena turkey hunting — Turkey season with Makena

Duck hunting with a friend — Wood ducks in the swamp

Van Taylor with his daughters in the deer blind — In the blind with my daughters

Van Taylor after a duck hunt — After the morning flight

Quail hunting with friends — Quail hunting

Skiing

Every winter I try to get to the mountains. Skiing is the rare sport that demands your complete attention — there is no thinking about work when you are reading the slope in front of you — and I come back sharper every time. My daughters learned young, and chasing them down the mountain remains one of my favorite pursuits.

Van Taylor's three daughters skiing — My three daughters on the mountain

Van Taylor on the mountain — Top of the mountain

Van Taylor and Makena skiing in New Zealand — New Zealand with Makena

Van Taylor skiing with his daughter — Chasing them down the mountain

One of Van Taylor's daughters learning to ski — They learned young

Van Taylor and Makena skiing in Verbier, Switzerland — Skiing in Switzerland

Running

My dad ran into his 80s. I remember running with him at the Midland track when I could barely run a hundred yards — year after year, I ran with him. The Marine Corps put running in my blood too, and I have never managed to get it out.

On October 25, 2026, I ran my first marathon: the 51st Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., with my oldest daughter Laura, a senior at Georgetown. We both finished. Laura broke four hours and beat me by nearly an hour, and I ran the whole way without walking. Makena, my girlfriend and running coach, put in almost all of the nearly 800 miles of training with me over six months. The people's marathon, run by Marines, through the monuments — there is no better first marathon in America, and it will not be our last.

Van Taylor and Makena Timmins on a morning run at Midway, Alabama — Morning run at Midway — October 2026

Van Taylor wearing his Marine Corps Marathon finisher medal with Makena Timmins at the finish — Marine Corps Marathon finish — October 25, 2026, with Makena

Van Taylor on the course during the Marine Corps Marathon — On the course — Marine Corps Marathon, October 25, 2026

Van Taylor running the Marine Corps Marathon — Marine Corps Marathon — October 25, 2026

Van Taylor crossing the Marine Corps Marathon finish line with his arms raised — Crossing the finish line — Marine Corps Marathon, October 25, 2026

Van Taylor wearing his Marine Corps Marathon finisher medal — The finisher's medal — Marine Corps Marathon, October 25, 2026

Van Taylor and Makena running the Newport Half Marathon — Newport Half Marathon with Makena

Van Taylor and Makena at the Newport Half Marathon finish — Finish line, Newport

Van Taylor and Makena crossing the Newport Half Marathon finish line — Crossing the finish line together

Van Taylor a mile into the Newport Half Marathon, photo by his mother — A mile in, Newport — Mom took this one

Van Taylor and Makena running in Sydney, Australia — Running in Sydney, with the iconic Opera House

Van Taylor and Makena running in Tallinn, Estonia — Running in Tallinn, along the Baltic Sea

Running is such a great way to see a city. So far I have logged runs in sixteen places: Amsterdam, Budapest, Copenhagen, Fiji, London, Manuka Point, Newport, Plano, Queenstown, South Boston, Sydney, Taipei, Tallinn, The Hague, Warsaw, and Washington, D.C. The clips below are the tour.

Running in D.C. along the Potomac River

Running in Sydney, with the iconic Opera House

Running in Queenstown, New Zealand

Running in Manuka Point, New Zealand, with the Southern Alps in the background

Running in Newport, Rhode Island

Running in Amsterdam, past a classic windmill

Running in The Hague, in the Haagse Bos

Running in Copenhagen

Running in Warsaw, Poland along the Vistula

Running in Newport, Rhode Island

Running in Tallinn, Estonia, along the Baltic Sea

Running in Budapest, past the Parliament Building

Running in Taipei, with Taipei 101 in the background

Running in South Boston

Running in London, along the Thames

Running in Plano, at Russell Creek Park

Running on a treadmill in Fiji, at 3 AM

Cooking

The hunt does not end at the field — it ends at the table. I cook what I harvest: venison, wild hog, dove, quail, duck, and turkey, prepared simply and shared generously. There is something deeply satisfying about serving a meal you carried out of the woods yourself, and few better ways to bring people together.

Homemade venison pizza — Venison pizza — fresh sourdough crust, homegrown basil

Homemade sourdough bread — Sourdough bread

Homemade focaccia with homegrown tarragon — Focaccia with homegrown tarragon

Venison, egg and fresh herb casserole — a Christmas morning tradition

Venison stir fry with rice cooked in wild duck stock — Venison stir fry, with rice cooked in wild duck stock

Duck and venison cassoulet simmering — Duck and venison cassoulet