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, 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 when they were both 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 and lived in Maine, California, and Colorado before setting 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 2018-2020 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 once again, discovering wow moments wherever they go.

Bill and Susan have one son who obviously 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, Twitter, 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, the experiences that Bill Graham craves are those 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 spent time as a Ranger for the National Forest Service. Bill has hiked and backpacked in dry deserts below sea level and in 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 in a responsible way that will allow 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 Twitter 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 her 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 websiteor on Twitter, 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.

Sandra Bornstein

Contributor

Sandy Bornstein is a Colorado-based, award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who focuses on active adventure, food and beverages, history and culture, cruises, luxury boomer travel, family travel, health and wellness, worldwide Jewish culture, and the importance of embracing life when faced with an incurable cancer diagnosis.

After living as an expat international teacher in Bangalore, India, Sandy wrote May This Be the Best Year of Your Life: A memoir as a resource for people contemplating an expat lifestyle. In the fall of 2022, Sandy’s second book, 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before You Die, will be published by Reedy Press.

Connect with Sandy online at The Traveling Bornsteins and SandraBornstein.com. Read all of Sandy’s Wander articles here.

Lori Bruton

Contributor

Lori Bruton (pronounced Brew-ton like when you brew a ton of coffee) broke out of the corporate cubicle to explore and enjoy life to the fullest. Storytelling and traveling are in her blood. Spas, beaches, and boats are her happy places. Her favorite destinations have been Monterey Bay, California, and Riviera Maya, Mexico, where she swam with the dolphins. Lori’s Stories By the Water are her favorite tales to tell live or on her Lifestyle Blog. Family, faith, and fun bring her joy. Her favorites are writing, essential oils, music, dancing, traveling, cafes, and dark chocolate. Lori is the author of The LORI Factor: Live the Life You Were Born to Live, Foreword by Les Brown, children’s books, and has been featured in digital and print publications, including 585 Magazine and Foodie Flashpacker.

Connect with Lori online at her website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Read all of Lori’s Wander articles here.

Mary Charlebois

Contributor

Mary Charlebois recalled that her mom called her Mary Go. One had only to mention ‘going,’ and she would be waiting at the door. Today, her life as a travel writer/photographer suits her well. Her favorite travel destinations are ‘off the beaten path,’ ‘not well-known,’ and ‘in the shadow of’ locations. There she delves into art, music, food, libations, architecture, museums, parks, well-curated tours, history, agriculture, and the unexpected in micro-towns and big cities, domestically and internationally.

Mary has been a photographer since she was nine when she received a Brownie camera for her birthday. Photography is one of the biggest reasons she travels. She has begun tackling video in the last few years—something describes as the perfect skill for an OCD person such as herself.

Visit Mary online on her website or follow her on social media on Instagram or Facebook. Read all of Mary’s articles on Wander here.

Mary Charlebois & Kevin Scanlon

Contributors

Mary Charlebois and Kevin Scanlon are a team of travel writers, travel photographers, and hotel scouts. Based in the village of Nadur on Gozo, Malta, M&K travel internationally and domestically, looking for their next travel story.

Mary and Kevin are both lifelong photographers and avid travelers. Mary became a published travel writer in 2016, and Kevin began his travel journalist career in 2021. Today they work together, focusing on off-the-beaten-path, not-well-known, and in-the-shadow-of locations. They delve into art, music, food, and libations. In addition, they explore architecture, museums, parks, well-curated tours, history, agriculture, and the unexpected in micro-towns and big cities, domestically and internationally.

Scouting hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, and vacation rentals is always on their itinerary. M&K give selected lodging a white glove inspection of the property, rooms, staff, amenities, and things to do in the area. Then they share the best with you, the Wander With Wonder reader.

Follow Mary and Kevin and their travels on Facebook and their website. Read all of Mary and Kevin’s articles on Wander here.

Kathy Condon

Contributor

Kathy Condon is a journalist and travel writer with immense curiosity. It has taken her to 29 countries, 16 islands, and 49 states (Alaska is on the bucket list). Her motto: Let me help tell your destination’s story to the people throughout the world.  She is the author of two books: Face-to-Face Networking: It’s All About Communication and It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: It’s All About Communication, which was named Best Book Finalist by USA Book News.

Visit Kathy online on her website, Palm Springs Insider Guide, or follow her on social media on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Read all of Kathy’s articles on Wander here.

Erin Coyle

Contributor

Traveling with friends, solo and in group tours, Erin Coyle has explored South America, Southeast Asia, Zealandia, Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa. She currently teaches English in a foundation program at a university in Sur, the Sultanate of Oman. For five years, she taught English at a university in Nanchang, China.

Visit Erin online on her website or follow her on Instagram. Read all of Erin’s articles on Wander 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.

Shannon DalPozzal

Contributor

Shannon DalPozzal began her travel writing adventures exploring her home state of Louisiana, expanding her journeys around the US. Soon she spread her wings and traveled to exotic destinations such as Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, and Qatar. With these adventures, Shannon returned to share stories and vignettes of her experiences with global audiences.

Shannon has appeared on Good Morning America, Lifetime Television Network, BBC Radio, and various news outlets worldwide, sharing cruise and travel information with viewers and readers.

She recently relocated to Coastal Maine with her husband, renovating a 1950s-era cottage into a rustic elegant hideaway, hosting guests from around the globe. When not traveling, Shannon spends her time at a local winery, writing and drinking wines while taking in the vineyard and mountain views. Her next book is set for release in the fall of 2023.

Follow Shannon on Instagram. Read all of Shannon’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 very 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. 

While 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.

Meghan Fitzgerald

Contributor, Specializing in Wines

Based out of Spokane, WA, Meghan Fitzgerald is a graduate of the Institute for Enology and Viticulture conducted out of Walla Walla, WA, and has earned her WSET Level 1 Award in Wines certification, as well as her Bourbon Stewardship through the Stave and Thief Society and her WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits certification. Meghan is pursuing her WSET Level 2 Award in Wines certification, resigning herself to her fate as the eternal academic. Passionate for sharing a drink and a story, Meghan writes as a contributing author for Edible Inland Northwest magazine, primarily on the subject of wine and spirits. She has had her work published for Gold Medal Wine Club and in Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Read all of Meghan’s articles on Wander here.

Joeann Fossland

Contributor

Joeann Fossland was bitten by the travel bug years ago and has traveled to 30 countries, 4 continents, and dozens of beaches. A baby-boomer, free spirit, she loves exploring the road less traveled and sharing unique places to inspire others. When not on the road, she lives in the beautiful Sonoran Desert north of Tucson, Arizona.

Visit Joeann online on her website or follow her on social media on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Read all of Joeann’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 Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Read all of Lisa’s articles on Wander here.

Kirsten Harrington

Contributor

Kirsten Harrington has been a freelance food and travel writer for over 12 years, chronicling adventures in the US and China. Her work has appeared in WhereTraveler, The Seattle Times, Edible Orlando, The Beijinger, and numerous other publications. You can find her scoping out new adventures, hiking, or enjoying a meal with her family when she’s not writing.

Check out more of Kirsten’s work on her website. Read all of Kirsten’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. 

You can find Kurt’s published articles 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 Twitter. 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.

Allison Levine

Contributor, Specializing in Wine

Allison Levine is the owner of Please The Palate, a boutique agency specializing in marketing and event planning for the wine and spirits industry. With over 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, and event planning, Allison is passionate about the world around her and its diverse people. Allison holds a WSET Level 3 Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), an Italian Wine Specialist Diploma from the North American Sommelier Association, a Certified Meeting Professional Certificate (CMP), and is BarSmarts Wired certified.

As an industry expert, Allison works with wine regions worldwide, organizing trade and media events around the United States. She has traveled extensively and has lived abroad in Italy, Spain, and Mexico, where she developed her passion for food and wine. Her work allows her to live life to the fullest. As a freelance writer, Allison communicates her experiences in articles and on her blog. She is a columnist for the Napa Valley Register and a regular contributor to California Winery. She is the host of the podcast WineSoundtrack USA. Her work has also appeared in ATOD Magazine, Wine Industry Advisor, Drizly, WineTouristMagazine, Thrillist, LA Weekly, LAPALME Magazine, BIN (Beverage Industry News), FoodableTV, Drink Me Mag, WeSaidGoTravel.com, Wine Country This Week and The Tasting Panel.

Follow Allison on Instagram and Twitter. Read all of Allison’s articles on Wander here.

Doug Loynes

Contributor

Doug Loynes is a travel writer living in São Paulo, Brazil. Since winning a travel writing competition for National Geographic UK Traveller in 2020, his work has been featured in a range of publications, including Nat Geo, Time Out, Wanderlust, and a range of specialist magazines from BBC Wildlife to ADV Moto.

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

SJ Morgensen

Contributor

SJ Morgensen is a freelance writer based in Omaha, specializing in travel and food. Whether she’s on an undiscovered beach in Florida or an off-the-beaten-path trail in the White Mountains of Northern Arizona, SJ likes the unexpected travel experience. She especially enjoys exploring sunny U.S. destinations, chatting with locals, and digging into creative cuisine.

Follow SJ’s travels on Instagram and on her website. Read all of SJ’s articles on Wander here.

Colleen O’Neill Mulvihill

Contributor

Colleen O’Neill Mulvihill is a travel writer, wellness writer, certified holistic nutrition consultant, health coach, and travel coach. Her biggest passion in life is teaching people about wellness, travel, and how to combine the two! She is a wellness-travel seeker who enjoys sharing mind, body, and soul experiences and holistic and healthy travel tips on her website and blog, HolisticHealthTraveler.com. 

Follow Colleen’s travels on Instagram and Facebook. Read all of Colleen’s articles on Wander here.

Gretchen Pahia

Contributor

Gretchen Pahia has more than two decades of journalism experience. She is an award-winning television news producer and when she isn’t writing for several local publications, she enjoys spending time with her family. Gretchen is an Arizona native, born and raised in the Valley, and continues to live there with her husband and two teenage sons.

Read all of Gretchen’s articles on Wander here.

Catherine Parker

Contributor

Catherine Parker has a passion for travel that’s 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 combines her love of the open road with visiting national parks, historic sites and cultural icons. Logging over 75,000 miles behind the wheel, Catherine has explored 41 of the 61 national parks so far. Loaded 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, Twitter, 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 persuaded businesses to buy products such as software, cloud computing, and cybersecurity services. She has now expanded into travel writing, photography, and videography and has had articles published in Matador, GoNOMAD, Travel Awaits, Foodie Flashpacker, Reel Travels, and more. Marni’s professional affiliations include TravMedia, International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), and Travel Writers University. 

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

Jill Robbins

Contributor, Specializes in Family Travel

Jill Robbins is a Texas-based freelance writer, wanderer, and photographer. Jill is a mom of three and nana of one. She lives outside San Antonio with her husband and two sons, but she’s usually somewhere else. 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, a stage show that features live readings about motherhood as told by their original authors in celebration of Mother’s Day.

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.

Katherine Rodeghier

Contributor

During her extensive career as a travel journalist, Katherine Rodeghier has researched destinations in nearly 100 countries and has taken cruises across the globe. Her travel experiences span all seven continents, including close encounters with penguins and leopard seals in Antarctica, lions in Tanzania, and tortoises in the Galapagos Islands. She has waded into a cranberry marsh in Wisconsin, danced the two-step in the Texas Hill Country, and hiked into Havasupai Canyon in Arizona.

Katherine’s travel journalism career began in suburban Chicago, writing and editing an award-winning newspaper travel section for the Daily Herald. She continues to write about travel as a freelancer for the Daily Herald as well as for other newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Dallas Morning News.

Katherine’s work also can be found in Global Traveler magazine, Cruise Travel magazine, and auto club publications and on websites FoodieTravelUSA.com and GoNOMAD.com among others. She’s a member of Society of American Travel Writers and is on the board of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association.

Follow Katherine on her website. You can also follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Read all of Katherine’s articles on Wander here.