Susan Lanier-Graham

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Founder and publisher Susan Lanier-Graham has traveled the world for the past twenty years, filling a passport or two along the way. She has wandered through the jungles of Thailand, explored the mysteries of the Great Pyramids, and shared the night with a leopard in Zambia. She sailed in the Mediterranean and sipped her way through Burgundy canals and Champagne caves. She followed Rembrandt’s footsteps through Amsterdam. Susan found her center on the red rocks of Sedona and soaked up an exquisite sunset over the Indian Ocean in Bali. Susan is always looking for wow moments around the world or across the street to share with adventure lovers everywhere.

She has authored more than 75 books and hundreds of magazine articles. Susan is an award-winning travel writer and member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), and North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). Susan is also a Certified California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS). Susan’s work still regularly appears in print and online. You can see her complete writing portfolio online here.

Susan was born in Virginia and grew up in Colorado, where she met her husband, Bill, in high school. Susan graduated Magna cum laude from the University of Maryland with a degree in Government & Politics/Comparative Economics. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts with honors from Regis University in Denver. Susan taught community college and high school for about a decade before devoting full-time to writing.

After spending several years in Germany while Bill served in the US Air Force, the pair returned to the US. They lived in Maine, California, and Colorado before settling in Arizona in 1994. They took a break from the Southwest from 2001 to 2003 and traveled the US in an RV before returning to Arizona. After a brief stay in Dallas from 2018 to 2020 for Bill’s work, they returned once again to Arizona. In December 2022, Susan and Bill decided to hit the road full-time again. As the proud owners of a 37-foot Jayco Fifth-Wheel travel trailer, they now call themselves digital nomads, traveling the US again and discovering wow moments wherever they go.

Bill and Susan have one son who didn’t enjoy being an only child because he has graced their lives with five grandkids. They all love the Wander lifestyle. You can follow Susan on Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Read all of Susan’s Wander articles here.

Bill Graham

Affiliate Manager | Outdoor & Adventure Editor

While pre-packaged experiences like tours, parks, and museums with well-marked sights and interpretive signs are great, Bill Graham craves experiences where you can escape the crowds and be with nature and history untouched. Whether it is an adrenaline rush like driving a dune buggy across the wilds of Baja or the humble experience of discovering the variety of mushrooms in the forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he seeks opportunities to be as close to the experience as possible.

Bill was inspired by his father, who was an avid outdoorsman and worked as a Ranger for the National Forest Service. Bill has hiked and backpacked in dry deserts below sea level and mountains above 12,000 feet. He has explored deep into caves where he saw fish with no eyes and spent long nights studying the night sky to see the rings of Saturn and the spiral of distant galaxies. Bill went diving to explore tropical reefs and hiked mountains to cross glaciers.

In addition to the natural world, Bill is a student of history and seeks out experiences that connect us with the past. He has walked among the ruins of a Bronze Age village in France, stood before petroglyphs carved by ancient Americans, and read graffiti left by citizens of the Roman Empire. He has trod in the footsteps of crusaders, outlaws, and explorers. In the technological world, Bill has traveled onboard vintage railroads, driven race cars and 18-wheelers, gazed at the antennas of the Very Large Array, and even flown an F-15 fighter.

Bill’s passion now is to share these experiences with others responsibly, allowing future generations to have the same experiences. Follow Bill on Facebook and LinkedIn. Read all of Bill’s articles on Wander here.

Pam & Gary Baker

Contributors

Pam and Gary Baker are freelance food, wine, and travel writers based in Northern California. They have been published in regional, national, and international publications, including WineTraveler, Porthole Cruise, Upscale Living, Northwest Travel and Life, and Washington Tasting Room. Pam is the former editor of Sacramento Lifestyle Magazine and writes a wine column for Food Wine Travel Magazine.

Follow Pam and Gary on X and Instagram. You can also follow Pam on Facebook and catch up with Gary on Facebook as well. Read all of Pam and Gary’s Wander articles here.

Tracy Ellen Beard

Contributor, Luxury Travel

 Tracy Ellen Beard is a freelance writer and photographer based in Longview, Washington. She is an avid traveler, wine connoisseur, foodie, hiker, cyclist, and kayaker. Tracy is the “Out and About” columnist for the Columbia River Reader and writes monthly for Upscale Living Magazine. She also contributes regularly to LuxeGetaways, Northwest Travel & Life, Country, Country Extra, and several other magazines. Her stories focus on luxury and adventure travel, fine dining, wine, libations, road trips, and recipes.

Tracy shares a unique perspective on the world from her personal journeys and excursions as the founder and past president of an international children’s nonprofit. Her twenty years of experience writing in various genres and her culinary training in San Francisco, California, have added to her knowledge and expertise. You can follow Tracy on her website or X, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Read all of Tracy’s Wander articles here.

Teresa Bergen

Contributor

Teresa Bergen is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer and web content developer specializing in sustainability, outdoors, vegan, and sober travel. Her articles appear in Inhabitat, Bluedot Living, MSN Travel, USA Today Outdoors Wire, and other print and online publications. She’s the author of Easy Portland Outdoors and Sober Travel Handbook and co-author of Historic Cemeteries of Portland, Oregon.

Teresa belongs to the Society of American Travel Writers and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Follow Teresa on Facebook and Instagram. Read all of Teresa’s Wander articles here.

Michael Cullen

Contributor, Specializing in Asia

Thailand-based Aussie Michael Cullen’s first career saw him working in hospitality, from vice royal households to boutique and big brand hotels across Australia. He welcomed new assignments and challenges with open arms and took that same enthusiasm and expertise for hospitality into his freelance travel writing.

Asia always beckoned, be that backpacking from Hong Kong into Southern China’s Guangzhou, a north-to-south honeymoon tour of Vietnam (well before mass tourism), Lombok touring, Cambodian explorations, or boating around the little-visited Andaman Islands of India. Looking for further adventures, Michael moved to Thailand full-time in 2015.

The culture, food, people and history, local architecture, and design inspire Michael to keep traveling and sharing his experiences. He seeks places that can bring those elements together in hotels or guesthouses with a strong design aesthetic. Sustainable, eco-friendly, community-based tourism and wellness are also areas of interest.

Michael is a member of TravMedia and IFWTWA (International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association).

See more of Michael’s work online, or follow him on Instagram. Read all of Michael’s articles on Wander here.

MaryRose Denton

Contributor

MaryRose Denton is a traveler and blogger from the Pacific Northwest. She applies the philosophy of “meraki” to her writing as much as she did to her thirty-year career as a massage therapist. Meraki is a Greek word best translated as a labor of love. In other words, being so passionate about something, you pour your soul into it. For MaryRose, that is travel. She focuses primarily on culture, history, sustainability, and vegan/vegetarian travel.

Follow MaryRose on Instagram. Read all of MaryRose’s articles on Wander here.

Michael & Elizabeth Fagin

Contributors, Specializing in Wines

Elizabeth Fagin and Michael Fagin have been freelance travel writers since 2005 and have toured much of the US West Coast, enjoying the wine country and covering the fine wines and dining. They also spend considerable time outdoors—hiking, biking, and kayaking. The Fagins also cover British Columbia wine country and explore the rain forests, coastal regions, and mountains.

When not on travel assignments, Michael is the founder and lead operational meteorologist for West Coast Weather, LLC. He is also the president and operational meteorologist of Mt. Everest Weather Forecasting.

Elizabeth is the editor for Fagin’s Weather World Newsletter and Fagin’s Weather World Hike Washington. She has been Director of Education at three synagogues in the Seattle area since 2001. Duties include writing curriculum, articles for newsletters, and providing continuing education for teachers.

Read all of Michael and Elizabeth’s articles on Wander here.

Lisa Waterman Gray

Contributor, Specializes in Green Hotels

A Kansas City-area resident, Lisa Waterman Gray has savored Quebec’s finest cuisine, ridden in a pickup before a Kansas buffalo herd, and toured natural Arizona landmarks with Native American guides. In June 2011, 18 months of driving, research, and writing ended with the national publication of Lisa’s book, An Explorer’s Guide: Kansas. In October 2014, she was a U.S. delegate for Terre Madre and Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy—a conference for Slow Food International.

Lisa has written for Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle (a Canadian magazine), USAToday.com, Midwest Living, four AAA magazines, and other clients. Visit Lisa online on her website or follow her on social media on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Read all of Lisa’s articles on Wander here.

Kurt Jacobson

Contributor

Kurt Jacobson is a former chef and current freelance travel writer. His writing covers restaurants, destinations, hotel features, farms, and wine. When not hanging out at home, Kurt loves exploring the Mid-Atlantic area with his wife and dog Sophie.

Kurt’s articles are published at Trip101.com, GoNOMAD.com, Mother Eart News Magazine, Edible Delmarva Magazine, TasteofTravel2.com, and more than 40 other publications worldwide.

You can find Kurt online at his website, TasteofTravel2, as well as on X. Read all of Kurt’s articles on Wander here.

Judy Karnia

Contributor

Judy Karnia currently enjoys living in the desert of Scottsdale, AZ. She grew up in Chicago and practiced veterinary medicine for 28 years. She has traveled throughout the United States and a few foreign countries and enjoys exploring cities and natural areas. She is a freelance travel writer and certified nature therapy guide. You can follow Judy on her website and Instagram. 

Read all of Judy’s articles on Wander here.

Sharon Kurtz

Contributor

Sharon Kurtz is a freelance writer and photographer. Her passion is travel, telling stories, and tussling with her four-legged friends. As a baby boomer who loves adventure, she welcomes opportunities to share stories of people, places, food, and flavors around the corner or around the world. Dallas, Texas, is home with her husband and three spoiled dogs when not searching out new adventures.

You can follow Sharon on Instagram and Facebook. Read all of Sharon’s articles on Wander here.

Catherine Parker

Contributor

Catherine Parker‘s passion for travel has driven her to visit all 50 U.S. states. As a former flight attendant with one of the largest airlines, she’s landed in nearly every North American airport at least once.

Since clipping her professional wings after 9/11, Catherine has combined her love of the open road with visiting national parks, historic sites, and cultural icons. By logging over 75,000 miles behind the wheel, Catherine has explored 41 of the 61 national parks. Loaded in an over-packed SUV, she’s driven through the lower 48 and six Canadian provinces with her three kids. Catherine also contributes to print magazines, including Texas Farm and Home, and her local newspaper, The Taylor Press.

You can follow Catherine online at CarfulofKids. You can also follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Read all of Catherine’s articles on Wander here.

Marni Patterson

Contributor

Marni Patterson has years of experience writing web content and creating written materials that persuade businesses to buy products such as software, cloud computing, and cybersecurity services. She has expanded into travel writing, photography, and videography and has published articles in Matador, GoNOMAD, Travel Awaits, Foodie Flashpacker, Reel Travels, and more. Marni’s professional affiliations include TravMedia, the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), and Travel Writers University.

Follow Marni on her website and Facebook, Instagram, and X. Read all of Marni’s articles on Wander here.

Jill Robbins

Contributor, Specializes in Family Travel

Jill Robbins is a freelance writer, wanderer, and photographer based in Texas. She is a mom of three and nana of one. She lives outside San Antonio with her husband and two sons, but she’s usually elsewhere. She has a biological daughter and two sons adopted from China.

Jill’s words have been published in The Washington Post, TravelingMom, Scary Mommy, and other places. She’s also the producer of Listen to Your Mother San Antonio. This stage show features live readings about motherhood as told by their original authors in celebration of Mother’s Day.

You can follow Jill on her website, Ripped Jeans and Bifocals. You can also follow along on Facebook and Instagram. Read all of Jill’s articles on Wander here.

Dena Roche

Contributor

Dena Roché is an experienced travel journalist focusing on wine, wellness, and luxury travel. She’s published with BBC, American Way, United Hemispheres, Marriott, Trivago, and more.

Follow Dena on her website. You can also follow along on Instagram. Read all of Dena’s articles on Wander here.