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Trails & Travel

Travel to Explore the Outdoors

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The Writing Life

The Writing Life

Writers think differently. Our thoughts on living the writer's life, from creative inspiration to technique to attending conferences.

Slowing the Mind

November 1, 2018 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Slowing the Mind

By stepping into a new pair of writing shoes – taking on the fiction writing challenge called NaNoWriMo with the goal of completing writing a novel this month – I begin to experience the world differently.

Filed Under: Biking, Life, The Writing Life Tagged With: Florida

Choosing the Light

May 28, 2011 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Choosing the Light

I spent this week on the road in the typical whirlwind of updating a guidebook. As I drove home, I reached a fork in the road, a decision point. And I took it. Yogi Berra would be proud.

Filed Under: Life, The Writing Life

A Million Micro-Decisions

May 6, 2011 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

A Million Micro-Decisions

Dealing with masses of files and papers? Coping with clutter means millions of micro-decisions. It’s that accumulata of life that gets in the way of living.

Filed Under: Life, The Writing Life

Auto Maintenance for Writers

March 1, 2010 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Auto Maintenance for Writers

There is a Zen-like quality to the time spent waiting for your mechanic to work on your car. If it’s a few hours, it’s an ideal time to nourish creativity.

Filed Under: The Writing Life

Okeechobee Inspiration

December 2, 2007 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Okeechobee Inspiration

On the Big O Hike, I can unplug. No computer tether for ten days, no cell phone til afternoons, awakening before dawn every morning to enjoy the zen of walking.

Filed Under: Hiking, Life, Moments, The Writing Life, Thoughts Tagged With: Florida

First Impressions of Taos

October 22, 2007 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

First Impressions of Taos

What is the desert of New Mexico really like? Not what I imagined, at all. An excerpt from a writing exercise, “First Impressions,” at the Lama Institute, Taos.

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: New Mexico

Madison’s Invisible Woman

October 16, 2007 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Madison’s Invisible Woman

Wandering down State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, I came across this scene while I was in search of lunch. These are not my shoes. What happened here?

Filed Under: Moments, The Writing Life Tagged With: Wisconsin

My Cousin, the Novelist

August 22, 2007 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

My Cousin, the Novelist

In Taos, my novelist cousin Sean Murphy and his wife, author Tania Casselle, live the writer’s life that I’ve always dreamed, writing and teaching writing

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: New Mexico

At the Governor’s Mansion

April 17, 2007 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

At the Governor’s Mansion

Mom told me she’d read an article about how the Governor’s Mansion now had a library devoted to Florida authors. “You should be in there!” she said. Now I am. I learned what fourth graders think about authors, too.

Filed Under: The Writing Life

In Patagonia

October 24, 2006 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: The Writing Life, Tours, Trips Tagged With: Chile

Conference in Chile

October 19, 2006 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: The Writing Life, Trips Tagged With: Chile

Arrival in Santiago

October 17, 2006 By Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: The Writing Life, Trips

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TRAVEL MEETS OUTDOORS

Follow along on our gentle adventures. We hike, bike, and paddle to explore natural beauty. We stop at museums and galleries. We shop and eat local. We believe in authenticity when we travel.
– Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Members, Society of American Travel Writers . Outdoor Writers Association of America . Florida Outdoor Writers Association

Our Newest Books

We're authors, so we're always working on a new book project! Here are our most recent publications.

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Recent Articles

Surprised by Stony Brook

Surprised by Stony Brook

Key West by Ferry

Key West by Ferry

Tuneup at Ford’s Garage

Tuneup at Ford’s Garage

Stingrays in Antigua

Stingrays in Antigua

Antigua Awakens

Antigua Awakens

The Road to Saltville

The Road to Saltville

Riding the Royal Shenandoah Greenway

Riding the Royal Shenandoah Greenway

See Rock City!

See Rock City!

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Follow our travels on Instagram

  • Memorials and artifacts at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia, including a cabin that General Patton once used. On the grounds of Fort Benning, this extensive museum and its grounds are free to visit.
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@infantrymuseum @columbusgeorgia #warmemorials #fallensoldiers #militaryhistory #usmilitary @fort_benning
  • Enjoying the artistry of Chef Henry Christian at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon in Key West. First time we’ve ever had a meal prepared like this right in front of our eyes at the bar. Margarita, anyone?
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@thefloridakeys @smokintuna #keywesteats #keywestbars #freshfoodfast #duvalstreet
  • One of the mushroom houses of Charlevoix, Michigan. While they look like giant gnome homes, these 1920s stone and wood creations by self-taught architect Earl Young were designed to blend into the landscape along Lake Michigan. 26 were built and all remain treasured homes to this day. You can view them on a walking or driving tour of this lakefront town, or even rent one for a vacation stay.
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@visit_charlevoix #mushroomhome #earlyoung #naturearchitecture #lakemichigan @puremichigan #visitcharlevoix
  • Enjoying our favorite restaurant for Valentine’s Day, complete with a very special sweethearts cherry almond cheesecake to share. Award-winning Cedar’s Cafe in Melbourne is our go-to for special occasions and whenever we have a hankering for Middle Eastern delights. .
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@floridaspacecoast #cedarscafe #melbourneflorida @cedarscafe #amazingfood
  • A beautiful, meditative spot for a veterans’ memorial, cradled in a bowl between colorful forests on the hills above downtown Portland, Oregon in Hoyt Arboretum.
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@hoytarboretum @travelportland #vietnamveteransmemorial #veteransmemorial #fallcolor #washingtonpark #portlandoregon

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