Editorial Team

Bruce Betz is a Seattle-based writer focusing on domestic and international destinations  including Washington, Oregon, Mexico, Switzerland, Denmark and Canada. His print and online travel stories have appeared in The Seattle Weekly, Vancouver Columbian, Spokesman Review, The Robb Report, Expedia.com, Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines magazines. He's also worked as a contributor to the popular Pacific Northwest travel guides Seattle Best  Places and Northwest Best Places.

Helen Bryant is a career journalist, writing and editing for papers in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia and Texas. She's currently a staff travel writer for the Austin American-Statesman and freelance writer for such publications as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Journey and Texas Highways. She authored "Fixin' to be Texan," in 1998, and it's still doing well. She's based in Austin, Texas.

Donna Dailey is a travel writer and photographer whose work appears in national and international newspapers and magazines. She has won several travel writing awards from the Visit USA Association and the British Guild of Travel Writers. Donna is the author of many travel guidebooks, including guides to Denver, Los Angeles, and Southwest USA, and writes a regular travel web page for Suite101.com about the Southwest and Hawaii. When not on the road she divides her time between homes in Cambridgeshire, UK and Arizona.

John DeLeva is the publisher of the Discover America USA Travel Guide. He is the youngest American to visit every county, borough and parish in the USA. He has been writing sports and travel since his junior year of high school and has had stories appear in more than 100 newspapers and several national magazines. John's first novel, Hours Like Diamonds, was published in 2000. His second novel, Stitch 108, is on hold until this 1,250,000-issue Guide makes it to market.

John K. Hawks has written about travel in the USA for 17 years - from contributing chapters to the official NASCAR travel guidebook to editing four different travel magazines. He has also served in senior posts with the National Tour Association and Association of Retail Travel Agents. John currently writes syndicated travel columns, produces a daily newsletter for travel agents and operates several popular travel websites.

Jeffrey Hirsch is editorial director for Encore Media Group, publisher of magazines in Seattle, Tacoma and San Francisco. He has worked extensively in consumer publications as editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Performing Arts Magazine; managing editor of L.A. Style; and senior editor of Los Angeles Magazine. He is the author of several books and has written for numerous national publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, Elle Décor and Metropolitan Home.

Kristi Lanier is a freelance writer who most recently called China home. From her Shanghai base she wrote for travel magazines Voyage and Asia & Away, contributed to travel guides, and was a regular contributor to city and lifestyle publications. She got her start at the Pulitzer Prize-winning Christian Science Monitor and has also worked as a communications specialist. Now back in her hometown of Seattle, she stays sharp writing for corporate clients as well as publications.

Dean Smith is a veteran journalist with 20 years of experience in the daily newspaper business. He covered the cultural scene for many years at The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, and he has worked as a free lance for national publications such as The New York Times and USA Today. While currently working toward a PhD at the University of North Carolina, Dean continues to contribute articles to the (Raleigh) News & Observer.

Pam Smith has been writing and editing for more than three decades.  She earned her stripes as a "generalist" at a community newspaper, covering government councils, writing features, columns and editorials, and producing tabloid inserts – from pre-election information guides to spring gardening spreads. She also has been a communication specialist at North Carolina State University, writing news releases and organizing news conferences and events. Of late, she has been writing about coastal topics for * Coastwatch,* North Carolina Sea Grant's award-winning magazine. Now semi-retired, she freelances from her North Carolina home at the coast.