Testimonials

Mary Machnica

As a photographer who is very into storms, I was looking for a Photography Storm chasing tour.  I was recommended by another photographer David Mayhew who is also a meteorologist to take Silver Lining Tours. I looked into them, and found that I needed to sign up early, since they sell out fast. I signed up the first day I could….. January 1st, 2018.  For a May 2019 Tour.
The time fast approached… I flew into Oklahoma, we all met for our informational meeting in the hotel the first night, preparing for the rest of the trip. I was the only women on the van besides Caryn. We set down guidelines… Back Of The Van!!!! LOL.
We hooked up with the rest of the tour, two other vans for the chase, but, if things were fizzling out, we in the photography van would break away, and look for Photogenic things to take pictures of… such as….the fizzling storm during sunset, an old abandoned house with great cloud structure or an amazing lightning storm at night…
Roger and Caryn are very professional, safety comes first. They are very genuine, and passionate about what they do. Their crew is the same way… I often heard them bouncing ideas back and forth where to head next. The drivers are not just drivers, but also experts in the field, and they are just as down to earth as Roger and Caryn…. With the same passion ….
Everything was great, from the vans with hook ups for our electronics, to the super nice hotels every night, to rotating positions in the van, making it fair for everyone!
I had a great time, I met a bunch of wonderful photographers, and a bunch of great people from all around the world…. I think 7 countries were represented on our tour.. I got a bunch of epic photographs, that I have printed …. Mounted…… and have sold.
I highly recommend Silver Lining Tours for all you Storm Chasing Junkies…. And if you are a Photographer, who want to add some amazing jaw dropping shots to your portfolio …. Silver Lining Tour is s MUST for you! You’ll get some amazing photographs…… and have an exhilarating time and meet some great people while getting them!!!
Check out Caryn’s amazing photos….
Here is the link for the photo’s I added to my website from the tour https://www.photosbymjm.com/p943368006 .
Thank you, Roger and Caryn, for the wonderful experience! Looking forward to signing up for the Monsoon Photography tour in the near future!!!

Christoffer Bjorkwall

“I went with Silver Lining Tours in 2017 on my 7th season of storm chasing. As the founder of StormChasingUSA.com I test and compare storm chasing tour companies and this was the 6th tour company I chased with. I am certain there is no one in the world who has the same type of experience in being able to compare one tour company against another. So, when I say a tour company is great, I know for a fact it is great – and Silver Lining Tours ARE great!
A tour company, in my opinion, is only as good as its tour guide and Roger Hill is exceptional at what he is doing (https://www.stormchasingusa.com/blog/how-do-you-determine-the-skill-of-a-storm-chaser/). Just as no batter will hit every ball, neither will a storm chaser find the best storm on every occasion but experience is crucial and Roger has tons of it. I felt very confident that he would bring us to the best position on the best storm  of the day, know when we needed to be there and what could happen when we arrived. The subtle hints that preceded the Cope, CO, landspout fest was very subtle but Roger was confident it would be a great day long before we arrived to the storm. Being the first chasers on the storm and 5-6 tornadoes later he was proven right. This is the number one reason I really enjoyed chasing with Silver Lining Tours.
In addition to being able to find the storms (which is obviously the most important thing), Roger and his team knows how to handle, and service, a large group. The administrative part of running a tour, which is not to be neglected, was handled with great professionality. Roger is also a very likeable person and I loved hearing his exceptional storm chasing stories.
If you go with Silver Lining Tours you can feel confident that you will be well taken care of, you will get a great hit rate out of the storms during your tour and that there is an overally sense of quality over every part of your tour. If I would send my father for a storm chasing tour – SLT is the one I would choose.”

Check out Christoffer’s superb website at stormchasingusa.com

Jessica Burrows

I decided to start a bucket list, and at the top was to see a tornado. Living in Australia really meant that wasn’t possible, so I started to do my research and with each and every  mouse-click and comparison of tour company’s I did, Silver Lining (and Roger & Caryn Hill)  kept coming up trumps. I’m so glad I chose to go with Roger & Caryn and will not hesitate to recommend them to others. The knowledge that they have of severe weather and the planning that they put into each day is self-evident and amazing! Whilst I am thrilled at the mentorship that Caryn provided, the value of this trip can’t be measured in photos alone. The conversations on the drives each day and around the dinner table, shared experiences in the field, mateship and the lifelong friendships made, that’s what makes these tours so very special. The team at Silver Lining Tours know how to put together a truly amazing and life-altering trip, and I was instantly hooked!  The locations, the guides and the photo stops were truly top class.  Even better, this dynamic duo are genuinely talented, humble and helpful. The trip to really had it all.  Stunning storms, wonderful accommodation, excellent and knowledgeable guides, and a small group of strangers who have now probably become lifelong friends with a common passion.  The companionship, laughter, and fun could never be underestimated. Book a tour, you will not be disappointed.

Mitch Dobrowner

As a fine art photographer I cannot say enough wonderful, positive things about Roger Hill and Silver Lining Tours. I give Roger Hill all the credit for any success I have had in the world of fine art photography. Besides Roger being the most experienced storm chaser on the planet he is one of the nicest, kindest, generous people and most passionate I have ever known. The major bonus for me is that Roger is also a wonderful photographer/videographer who understand light, composition and how to be position us for the ultimate image captures. Every tour I have gone on (15+) have been fun, relaxing and what I would classify as a once in a lifetime experience. I’m not saying that to be nice – I mean this.

Roger and Caryn have gotten me in front of some of the most outrageous storm systems I could have ever imagined. This is also done with every one’s safety being a top priority. Also, the drivers that Roger has chosen (and carefully vetted) deserve much credit for being professional, patient and kind. And we also stay in the best hotels available…. no crappy hotels per Roger!! This has made Silver Lining Tours the only storm chasing tour group I will ever travel with.

– Mitch Dobrowner
website: mitchdobrowner.com

Dr Jason and Aman Nemitz

We cannot say enough fabulous things about Silver Linings Tour Groups and we have gone every year religiously since 2014! Little background info—I am the weather nerd and my husband was the good sport that wasn’t as interested in clouds…and, boy, did that change quickly with SLT! I did a lot of research prior to making a reservation and Roger’s group had the most votes of confidence about safety and comfort, understandably so, as we saw that in action immediately with their safety presentations prior to going on the road. Prior to our trip, Roger was so great about answering my many questions that I had about what to expect and even how to pack. We arrived and, much to my surprise, my non-weather-nerd husband was already so enthralled meeting fellow weather lovers and getting the educational piece on the weather. In fact, he was even ready to book the next reservation before we even saw our first storm! The accommodations have always been very nice and Roger works very hard to coordinate finding a nice hotel while on the road chasing storms. This is an art form coordinating all of this and Roger makes it look seamless. Roger is always available to answer questions along with the other drivers, some who are meteorologists. Roger’s enthusiasm is infectious—despite the fact that he has seen the most tornadoes in the world, his face lights up as if it is the first one that he has seen and he and his wife have such a passion for storms that always comes through. We have seen approximately 50 tornadoes and countless of beautiful supercells in our 6 years of attending. I can’t even properly describe our experiences as they have been so incredible and we count down the days to our trip every single year. Our favorite aspect about this trip is one that others find the most surprising—it is incredibly relaxing to disconnect from our busy lives and enjoy staring at the clouds with wonderful people from all around the world. We have never felt unsafe or in harm’s way in the 8 tours that we have attended and we have seen that safety is paramount with this group. Roger’s team is like a family—we see the same individuals every year whether it is tour attendees or the drivers and that is such a great reflection of how professional and well organized SLT is. We look forward to signing up every year that this group exists and we are so grateful for Roger and Caryn for bringing storm chasing into our lives!

Connor McCarty

I first met Roger & Caryn back in 2012 when I was 14 years old. That’s when my Grandpa & I decided to do some crazy thing called storm chasing, and I haven’t looked back ever since. It’s 2019 now and I’m 21 going on 22. I am at 79 career tornadoes, trying to catch up to Roger!! Thanks to Roger, Caryn, & SLT, I’m now taking meteorology classes online, pursuing a degree in that exact field. The countless days spent in the van, in gas stations, and on the side of the road waiting for storm development are things you will never forget. SLT is simply the best, and only Storm Chasing tour company I would recommend, and chase with. SLT is safe, smart, and 100% willing to get you to wherever the best storms will be. I dare you to find someone as experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated as Roger. Without Roger & Caryn I definitely would not be this into forecasting, storm chasing, and meteorology as I am now. SLT is second to none.

Jacquie K

Having been touring with Roger and Caryn Hill over a dozen times since 2003, all I can say is WOW! If there is severe weather anywhere in range, Roger will get you there. Roger makes a point to conduct a “Weather 101” class most mornings, so I have learned SO much about the weather and why certain things (like tornados) happen. All the guides are also very knowledgable about the weather, too, and love to talk about it while you are in the vans. I have never felt in danger and have always enjoyed Silver Lining Tours every time. I love having the opportunity to see amazing supercells, haboobs, hail and more. And I have always enjoyed meeting all the other severe weather enthusiasts on every tour.  I can’t even explain how much fun it is to spend time with other like-minded folks and I have made many long-term friends from my tours. We always stay in nice hotels, eat a lot of gas station food and even some really nice meals on down days. I have seen SO much of the midwest – from New Mexico to Mississippi and from Canada all the way to south Texas, So much to see even if Ma Nature is not producing any storms. I highly recommend Silver Lining Tours to anyone who wants to experience all kinds of severe weather with great views of the midwest.

Josh E

Contrary to popular beliefs on chase tours, seeing a tornado is actually pretty rare, and really is dangerous. For that reason, it’s imperative that when choosing who you chase with, you research the people, the company, the safety record and the number of tornadoes seen by a group. I chose Silver Lining tours because Roger has an impeccable safety record over 30 years, which is incredible when you consider the dangers and variables, and also because he holds the Guinness World Record for seeing more tornadoes than anyone else on the planet! His passion, excitement, success rate and commitment to safety is unmatched in the industry. If you want the best in the industry, choose Silver Lining Tours.

Tim B

I have always been fascinated by severe weather. I’ve wanted to storm chase ever since I saw Roger Hill’s storm chasing tour featured on The Weather Channel back in like 2002. I was hesitant to go since there’s always the chance you won’t see a tornado during your tour. But then again, if I didn’t go, I’d probably go to my grave regretting not experiencing storm chasing. And there are more things to experience in storms than just tornadoes. So I finally made it a reality this year when I went on Tour 3, the 2016 Great Plains Cyclone Tour, and boy, I wasn’t disappointed!!! I had an incredible week, 3 tornadoes on my first day of storm chasing May 9th, core punching a super cell to experience sustained 80mph winds with vivid lightning, hail, hail roar, a haboob and more lightning, lots of lightning! Roger and his tour guides are the friendliest people, helping you to understand what’s going on and why the atmosphere is doing what it does. Roger was always willing to explain anything you want to know about weather. I came away understanding so much more about storms and what meteorologists look for to predict severe weather and tornadoes. Roger always made sure we had nice accommodations for the night and helped us to enjoy the “down days” when nothing exciting was happening. I enjoyed hanging out with Roger and his guides! (Ask Roger about his bowling. He’s got game!) For those 7 days on the tour, I felt like part of this big family of storm chasing fanatics and I loved it! Will I chase again, YES!! And who will I chase with? Really, do you need to ask? I highly recommend Silver Lining Tours, hands down!!

Mark R

Some people dream of taking a cruise. Others dream of touring through Europe. Even more dream of a tropical paradise to laze about for ten days and maybe do some snorkling.
Yawn.

When I think of a vacation, there is no other choice for me BUT Silver Lining Tours. Continue Reading →