Sandra Friend | Page 21 | Trails & Travel

The award-winning author of more than 40 books, Sandra Friend started her travel writing career in the 1990s writing features for major newspapers like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and magazines like Blue Ridge Country, Backpacker, and Rock & Gem. Her lifelong focus has been on the intersection of travel and the natural world. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Society of American Travel Writers and for the Florida Outdoor Writers Association.

End of a Patagonian Adventure

After 14,000 miles and more logged on planes, buses, taxis, and vans, I’m pooped out. Patagonia was all I expected and more: I’d hike there again in a heartbeat.

In Patagonia

Serendipity touched my sendoff to Patagonia. In the lobby, Tim Cahill was also waiting for his adventure, and I listened to his advice on Patagonia over coffee.

More scenes of Santiago

Our trip to Pomaire was unexpectedly redirected to a walking tour in Santiago in the historic district of Santa Lucia, followed by unplanned shopping stops

Zanzibar en Chile

For my foodie friends, a lovely eve last night spent in a trendy restaurant district along the river. Our destination Zanzibar, offering “A World of Cuisines.”

Cerro Santa Lucia

Cerro Santa Lucia is a forested and steep hill in the middle of the city, where Santiago was founded in 1541. It is ringed with historical sites and public gardens.

Conference in Chile

Today has been spent immersed in my first SATW conference, with one of my favorite writers, Tim Cahill, as the keynote speaker at our convention in Santiago, Chile

Presidential Palace in Santiago

Arriving in Santiago, Chile, with a jet-lagged induced headache and a full morning’s wait for my hotel room, I saw the city via tour bus for an overview to allow me to ramble the streets later on my trip.

Images from Santiago

On only two hours sleep in 48 hours, I took a very thorough bus tour of Santiago, Chile, with a couple of stops for walking tours.

Arrival in Santiago

On my first trip to South America, I’m here for the Society of American Travel Writers Annual Conference, also my first. I’ll share some photos and notes as I can.