Where was your photo taken? Standing on top of 11 ft of snow in May (!!) at Crater Lake in Oregon.
Where do you live now? My mail goes to Charlottesville, Virginia, but I spend a lot of time on the left coast in my husband’s home state of Oregon, and a lot more of my time living out of a suitcase as both my husband and I travel for work.
Scariest airline flown: I’ve been lucky enough not to have any truly terrifying in-air experiences, but I did have to hold my breath throughout our approach into Bermuda earlier this year (flying Delta). Apparently it’s so windy there that a lot of the flights that go to the island have to turn back without landing, because the conditions are too dangerous. I can’t imagine a much dicier landing than the one we made when I went in January, though.
Favorite city/country/place: Ashland, Oregon. It’s a lovely small town with a rich culture, and it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural landmarks I’ve ever seen.
Most remote corner of the globe visited: I spent a summer in Guatemala with my brother when I was 17. It’s not too far away from home in terms of mileage, but sometimes it was like being on another planet.
Favorite guidebook series: For places in the US, I usually just stick to the internet and word of mouth for things to see and do, but for international travel I usually get a Lonely Planet guidebook.
On your next trip, you are forced to schedule a 24-hour layover. you have $200 to spend. Where do you spend the layover and why? Definitely Vegas. No need to find a hotel for the night — just go casino hopping and hope the money lasts.
Worst place to catch a stomach bug? On the highway in Northern California, in the middle of a 10-hour drive from Portland to Reno. No towns, no rest stops, no bathrooms, no fun. I’m sure it could have been worse in some third world country, but I prefer not to think about it…
When I’m not writing for Gadling, I’m… playing bridge with my husband. He’s a professional player, and we travel to dozens of tournaments all over the US every year, and occasionally this hobby/job takes us overseas. You can read about bridge adventures here.