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RoadTrip America is the joint effort of editors, book reviewers, contributing writers, forum moderators, information technologists, Web designers, photographers, and hundreds of knowledgeable road trippers who share their discoveries, concerns, and dreams about roadtripping in North America. In the months ahead, we'll be adding new planning tools and articles about getting out there. For a list of articles by contributing writers, click here.

Mark SedenquistMark C. Sedenquist took his first solo road trip (a 10,000-mile, two-week, cross-country cruise in a Fiat 128) shortly after graduating from high school and is an ardent supporter of the "mosey style" of road tripping. Founder, publisher, and managing editor of RoadTrip America, Mark has never passed a back road country lane or a dirt road without wanting to follow it to the horizon. These days, his adventures are often virtual, gained through participation in the Great American RoadTrip Forum, the remarkably creative and knowledgeable community that shares tips, suggestions, and road trip tales with newbies and old hands.

Megan EdwardsMegan Edwards is founder, editor, designer, writer, and book reviewer for RoadTrip America. RTA's "idea person," she's always on the lookout for new ways to enhance the site and better serve the road tripping community. Her incurable case of wanderlust may have been inherited from her forebears who came west on the Oregon Trail, or maybe from her parents who often took her on roads less traveled. Megan chronicled RoadTrip America's unlikely beginning in a Southern California wildfire in Roads from the Ashes. Also a novelist, Megan writes features about life in Las Vegas, Nevada, her current hometown.




Del AlbrightDel Albright is an internationally published columnist who has been exploring and writing about off-highway destinations for over 20 years. He is an advocate for sensible management of public lands and works tirelessly to ensure access for motorized recreational users through his work with the BlueRibbon Coalition. His articles have appeared in magazines, newspapers and off-highway enthusiast periodicals. Del shares advice for properly equipping road trip vehicles and insider tips about little-known off-road destinations. If you have any questions about off-highway adventuring, Del may be reached here.

Mike BoothMike Booth keeps his mobile office/home, a 2001 Freightliner Classic XL, on the road at least 28 days a month. We met "Moon Rider" in an ice storm in the Texas panhandle in November, 1999, when the Phoenix One was marooned with more than 200 eighteen-wheelers one frigid night. Since then, Mike has shared his knowledge of the trucking industry and the technology he uses to stay connected and run a business on a roll with RoadTrip America. When he's not on the road, Mike calls Chesterfield, Virginia, home.

Matt BrennesholtzMatthew Brennesholtz of Pleasantville, New York, is RoadTrip America's New York guide. Pictured here aboard a vintage subway car in Brooklyn's Transit Museum, Matt has guided RTA on a number of trips, including a subway ride to Brighton Beach & a boat trip around Manhattan.

Joel BriggsJoel Briggs is an avid part-time archaeologist who has turned soil at the Lost City of Caral in Peru, ventured deep into the Sahara Desert to find lost ruins, and is currently surveying and documenting many Native American prehistoric trails that wind through California's deserts. He is a regular tour guide for the Coso Petroglyphs located within the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. On any given weekend, you can find Joel in his FJ40 Land Cruiser, exploring Death Valley, Baja California or somewhere else he can learn about hard rock mining. Joel was the inspiration for an RTA roadtrip to the former mining camp at Skidoo in Death Valley. Joel is currently pursuing a master's degree in Archaeology.

Judy CarterJudy Carter, a resident of Hoquiam, Washington, and pictured here in her roadtrip car "Bilbo," longs for the day when she can start a moseying road trip with no end date and no firm destination. Until that time arrives, she takes frequent daytrips around Oregon and Washington and is an accomplished contributor to and Moderator on the RoadTrip Forum. Judy's posts are treasure troves of information about exploring the northwest, outfitting a roadtrip vehicle, and in "The Art of the Speed Run," she provides tips for driving safely when you're in a hurry. Judy's wanderlust has led to trips to Roswell, New Mexico, the southwest, and parts of the midwest in the company of fellow VW Beetle owners. If your roadtrip plans include travel in the Pacific Northwest, get in touch with Judy.

Lynne ChristenLynne Christen is a travel addict and freelance writer and photographer specializing in travel, food and wine. Her passion for travel began as a flight attendant with Eastern Air Lines for over 22 years. Through her airline years and as a present day leisure traveler, Lynne has traveled to 47 countries, throughout the U.S. and on 22 cruises in recent years. She is author of Travel Wisdom - Tips, Tools, and Tactics for All Travelers, 101 Cruise Tips and 101 Vacation Rental Tips.


Aaron ReedTamara Dwyer's love of travel started with a roadtrip from Washington State to Tennessee at the age of three. She has lived in and traveled through most of the US. Texas is her adopted home state, where she designs computer software by day and enjoys Austin's live music and great food by night.

Chris EptingChris Epting is an accomplished roadtripper, cultural historian, and the author of nine books featuring roadside attractions. He is a regular contributor to a variety of travel publications and the spokesperson and co-creator for the Hampton Inn's "Hidden Landmarks" program. Originally from New York, Chris now lives in Huntington Beach, California, with his wife Jean and their two children. Chris has written about baseball and rock'n roll icons for RoadTrip America.

Mike FousieMike Fousie of Portland, Oregon, created the virtual tours of the Phoenix One. Pictured here with his minature schnauzer Mac and Marvin the Road Dog, Mike is owner of LightCurve, a company providing custom videography & photography.

Jaimie HallJaimie Hall-Bruzenak is an experienced dashboarder and RV fulltimer who has lived on the road since 1992. Jaimie is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road and co-editor to RV Traveling Tales: Women's Journeys on the Open Road and The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing. She is also a Contributing Editor for "Workamper News." Together with Alice Zyetz, she writes a monthly column about the RV lifestyle for RoadTrip America. Jaimie may be reached here.


Mark HelmlingerMark Helmlinger is a Northrop Grumman planetary sciences engineer who builds radiometric sensing equipment and is usually found testing it in some of the most remote places on earth. His field work allows him to pursue his interest in geo-caching, and he provides RTA with expert tips about RV boondocking in off-the-beaten-path places all over North America. He also contributes funny roads signs (like this one from Massachusetts) to RTA, and he's an incredible source of information about GPS, satellite communication systems, and exploring desert playas. Mark can be reached here.

Mark HollowayMark Holloway of Anniston, Alabama, has guided RTA to Leadfield and other ghost towns & little known destinations in and around Death Valley. Mark and his wife Freda own the popular Web site www.KittyMother.com. Currently, Mark is working for the Defense Logistics Agency at the Anniston Army Depot, which builds and supports the U.S. Army's tank program.

Jillian ImilkowskiJillian Imilkowski is a fearless roadtripper and photographer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In her wanderings, she has immortalized roadside wonders and funny signs in California, Wisconsin, and Florida. She works for a wine distributor and spends most of her work days on a roll throughout southern Wisconsin. If your roadtrip plans call for local intel in the Milwaukee area, Jillian can be reached here.

Sylvia JohnstonSylvia "Syv" Johnston is "hooked on travel". Born and raised on a farm in Ontario, Canada, she attended university in South Carolina. Sylvia is a licensed insurance adjuster who also works part-time in police communications. Adventures include bus tours of Europe and Great Britain, and solo driving trips across Ireland, Canada and the USA, usually sleeping in the car. "Half the fun of travel is the months of fine-tuning to plan itineraries in meticulous detail," she says. Syv is a "RoadTrip Advisor" on the Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Dr. Bruce JonesDr. Bruce Jones of Pasadena, California, pictured here capturing wildflowers on film in California's Antelope Valley, is RTA's train expert. Click here for a day of train watching in the Tehachapi Range, where freight trains circle the world-famous "Loop" to pull the grade over the mountains.

David KirbyDavid Kirby of San Mateo, California, has directed RTA to a number of great destinations in Northern California, such as the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory in Fairfield. He's pictured here listening to ocean music at the Wave Organ in San Francisco.

Lea LaneLea Lane is founder/editor of the lifestyle Web site SoloLady.com and author of "Solo Traveler: Takes and Tips for Great Trips." She is an award-winning writer and communicator, hosts a TV travel show in the New York City area, and writes for magazines, newspapers and Web sites. She wrote a column called "Going It Alone," for Gannett newspapers and was managing editor of "Travel Smart" newsletter. She is a frequent, featured blogger for The Huffington Post.

Genevieve LauziereAn expert solo road tripper, Geneviève Lauzière is an ex-lawyer and ex-professional truck driver. Gen is on a roll much of the year, spending fall and winter in Quebec City, spring in Phoenix, Arizona and summers in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. She is a jazz aficionado and likes to tour alternative clubs when traveling around North America. Gen is always on the lookout for funny road signs. A frequent contributor to the Great American RoadTrip Forum, Gen files field reports from locations as diverse as northern Quebec, Key West and the desert regions of the southwestern United States. She can be reached here.

Lisa Marie MercerBreckenridge tour guide Lisa Marie Mercer is the author of Open Your Heart with Winter Fitness, the owner of Mountain Sport Pilates and the key blogger for Flyaway-Weblog.com. Her novel, Reflections in the Snow, is under contract with Calderwood Books, and is set in the locations featured in this road trip. Read more of her articles.

John MormonJohn Mormon is a retired teacher from Henderson, Nevada, who has taught subjects ranging from math and history to landscape design and horticulture to students from Head Start to college level. A WW II Marine veteran and survivor of Iwo Jima, John's keen wit and sense of humor has transformed his recent severe loss of vision into an asset. He has gone from "avid reader to impassioned listener" as a reviewer of audio books for RoadTrip America. John may be reached here.

Ruth MormonRuth Mormon of Henderson, Nevada, is a librarian and experienced world traveler who listens to audiobooks on her daily 55-mile roadtrip (commute). She has served as advisor for several reference works including Grzimek's Student Animal Life Encyclopedia, Chemical Compounds, and Major 21st Century Writers. An avid roadtripper, Ruth enjoys spotting funny signs (like this one in Las Vegas and this one in Buffalo). She also contributes resources for scenic drives and reviews audiobooks. Ruth can be reached here.

Aaron ReedOlivia Neri was bitten by the travel bug after getting her first passport at 8 years old, and to date has visited 45 countries on 6 continents. While earning a B.A. in Journalism and a Minor in Creative Writing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, she was spoiled with daily drives along Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon. One of her favorite road trips is Vegas! She has been published in magazines, newspapers and Web sites in several countries. A native Californian, she has lived in Costa Rica and currently calls the Netherlands home.

Rod & Judy NessRod and Judy Ness of Hermantown, Minnesota, are intrepid roadtrippers and primary contributors to RTA's Roadside Marvels and Roadside Murals departments. 50th Anniversary CorvettePictured here at the source of the Mississippi River, they can be found prowling the back roads of Minnesota, Michigan, Wiconsin, and Ontario in their "40th Anniversary" 1993 Corvette. If you are looking for ideas and tips for travel in these areas, Rod and Judy can be reached here.

Troy PaivaTroy Paiva is a commercial artist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. For his entire adult life he has been an abandonment explorer and back-roads wanderer, especially at night. Sneaking around in junkyards and dead roadside towns in the middle of the night, he was doing urban exploration years before the term even existed. Troy is the author of the critically-acclaimed Lost America which features over 145 color and black-and-white photographs. On April 27th, 2007, Troy launched a new version of his Lost America Web site with hundreds of evocative photos from around the west.

Aaron ReedAaron Reed is a native Texan and works as a news writer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, based in Austin. An avid outdoorsmen and roadtripper, he has written for Texas Fish & Game magazine (where he was boating editor), Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, Texas Outdoors Journal, Gulf Coast Connections, Lone Star Outdoor News, Good Old Boat magazine and scores of other publications. He is currently the paddlesports editor for Texas Sporting Journal and is hard at work on "Paddling Texas", forthcoming from Falcon Guides in 2008. Aaron can be reached here. Read more at his blog.

Robert Schaller"I live for road trips" could be Bob Schaller's mantra. His love for exploring began at the age of three when he explored his neighborhood by tricycle. Following a stint in the US military, Bob was a long-haul truck driver, a commercial pilot, an industrial supply salesman, a college student, and a civil servant working in Arizona's judicial branch for thirteen years. A recognized expert in Arizona traffic law, Bob teaches defensive driving classes all over the state and is author of the online defensive driving manual Drive Safe with Uncle Bob. His wanderlust remains as hearty as ever, and when he isn't wandering the West on "the Yellow Streak", he is an occasional contributor to the Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Dan SedenquistDan Sedenquist's gorgeous photography often illustrates the featured Forum posts on the home page of RoadTrip America. Dan is an expert roadtripper and has traveled extensively in Alaska, the south and throughout the West in conjunction with his professional background in geology and mineralogy. These days, Dan is a real estate broker in Santa Cruz, California. To view more of his gorgeous photography around Monterey Bay, click here. In addition to providing real estate services, this Web site is an excellent resource for recreational and homeowner information in the area. Dan can be reached here.

Suzanne & Craig SheumakerSuzanne and Craig Sheumaker, a husband-and-wife team from California, have a long history of exploring and discovering. While searching out scenic locations for Craig's stock photography business, the Sheumakers became intrigued by the many historical places that bring America's past to life and make history meaningful in today's world. They picked their favorite pre-1845 destinations to showcase in their specialty traveler's guide, America's Living History - The Early Years. Craig is also a RoadTrip Advisor on RTA's Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Craig SmithCraig Smith's passion is sailing his 27-foot Aloha 271 on Lake Ontario, but he has also found time to field test some of the software and gear reviewed in RTA's Dashboarding department, hike to the top of the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert Preserve, capture some outstanding photos of Las Vegas, Nevada, and even immortalize a funny sign or two. If you want some local Toronto road tripping intel, Craig is your man -- reach him here.

Garry SowerbyGarry Sowerby, holder of four world driving records and author of Sowerby's Road has been pushing the envelope of road trip adventure for the last twenty-five years. Garry is our go-to-guy for resources and suggestions for taking road trips in the Nova Scotia and Maritimes provinces.

Anne SponholtzAnne Sponholtz has traveled the eastern coastline from Key West to Canada and west to the Mississippi River. She and her husband are former tent campers who have discovered the fun of RVing. They set off in their RV almost weekly, taking road trips through Florida and Georgia. And even when on the road, Anne writes her weekly column for the Florida Times-Union's "My Clay Sun" section, coming home to cover news stories and features for the newspaper. Yet she always remains anxious to set out on the next road trip in hopes of discovering a new adventure to share. On the road or at home, Anne can be reached here.

Robert SpurlockRobert Spurlock of Boulder City, Nevada, is an expert on petroglyphs and native American archaeological sites. He has guided RTA to little known destinations in the mountains around Las Vegas, including Grapevine Canyon. Also an avid handcar racer, Robert invited RTA to the Rattlin' Rails International Short Course Handcar Championship!

James TeitelbaumJames Teitelbaum has been writing about nightlife, pop culture, film and travel for 15 years. His 2003 book Tiki Road Trip has been rewritten and remixed into a new, updated, expanded and more Tikified second edition. His newest research project is a search for the best places to find great cocktails. You can follow along with his cultural research efforts online here. James also works professionally in the music business, teaches music technology, and is interested in photography and anything 1930s-1950s.

Peter ThodyForty-eight weeks a year, England-based writer Peter Thody finds different ways to say essentially the same thing again and again about IT-based consumer goods. This pays for the trips to America where he and wife Carole indulge their love for exploring "the bits in between," risking cheap motels and making friends in the type of bars their daughters would be horrified to know they were visiting. More of Peter's evocative prose and extraordinary photographs are online here. Peter may be reached here.

Gerald ThurmanGerald D. Thurman's motto is "Learn It, Do It, Teach It." A resident of Tempe, Arizona, Gerald is a Computer Science Instructor at Scottsdale Community College who blends his knowledge of computer programming with a passion for roadtrip adventure. Gerald has a keen eye for detail and the ability to bring his roadtrips to life in his field reports. Two examples of his photographic acumen can be found in the Rice Shoe Tree and the Krazy Greek articles. One of his many pursuits is a personal crusade to eliminate litter wherever possible. Gerald can be reached here.

Dennis WeaverDennis Weaver -- having burnt food from Miami, Florida to Point Barrow, Alaska -- is RTA's road food expert. He has logged thousands of hours on the roads, trails, and waterways of America including many of Alaska's wilderness rivers and has consistently been elected the trips' "chief cook and bottle washer." Dennis is currently general manager at The Prepared Pantry, a company in Rigby, Idaho, that produces ready-to-eat meals and baking mixes packaged in Mylar. Weatherproof, bug-proof, and critter resistant, they're ideal for both roadtrips and back woods camping. Dennis may be reached here. In his Road Food articles, Dennis shares tips, advice, and recipes to make good eats a part of every road trip experience.

Carol WhiteCarol White is an avid road tripper, author, speaker, and book marketing coach. In addition to co-authoring the best selling, award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream. Carol's writing has appeared in such publications as Me* Magazine, AAA Living, Perceptive Travel, Cyber-Sam and more. She is frequently quoted as a travel expert in such publications as Publisher's Weekly, National Geographic Traveler, Real Simple and Health. She and her husband Phil are national spokespeople for RVIA, the RV Industry's association that produces the "Go RVing" campaign. When they aren't traveling, Phil and Carol are at home in Wilsonville, Oregon where they enjoy golf, yoga, community activities and most of all, their eight (soon to be nine) grandchildren.

Gerry WingenbachGerry Wingenbach is a long-time freelance journalist currently based in Salt Lake City where he operates a mountain/ski guiding company. Every year, he spends part of the off-season teaching school at a village in Indonesia. Gerry has traveled in and reported on more than 80 countries and is the author of three travel books.

Don WoodmancyDonald Woodmancy of Mesquite, Nevada, is an avid historian and is especially interested in the Civil War, steam trains, and gunfighters of the Old West. Don has written about some of his road trip adventures in Southern California and Talkeetna, Alaska.

Andrew YouderianAndrew Youderian is the founder and manager of Right Channel CB Radios, an online store specializing in CB equipment for vehicles. Right Channel CB Radios carries a large selection of CB radios and antennas, and hosts a CB Radio Resources Library, containing numerous CB-related articles and guides. Youderian lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has traveled extensively throughout the American West. His most recent excursion was a 10,000-mile, five-week road trip across the United States.

Alice ZyetzAlice Zyetz has been on the road for over a decade. She writes an online RV lifestyle column and is co-editor of RV Traveling Tales: Women's Journeys on the Open Road and The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing. She also wrote the popular You Shoulda Listened to Your Mother. A full-timing expert, Alice provides in-depth information about working, living, and traveling in recreational vehicles in the columns she writes with Jaimie Hall for RoadTrip America. Alice may be reached here.
  
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