I am a lawyer by trade and a travel writer by desire. In 1995 my wife, Alison Scott and I published Exploring Nova Scotia, the most comprehensive guide to our home province ever produced. Since then it has been constantly updated and is now in its 6th edition, having sold well over 25,000 copies worldwide. In addition to keeping the book current I write primarily about eastern Canada for a number of publications including Saltscapes, RV Gazette, the Saint John Telegram, the Halifax Herald, Cross Country Skier and others. In addition I have written about numerous other destinations as diverse as Andorra and French Polynesia. In 2014 I launched my revamped website and create detailed travel content on a weekly basis. Currently there are over 620 posts from over thirty countries with thousands of photos. You can find copies or links to all my articles on my website.
In 2019 I was elected President of TMAC and also served as Treasurer of the Canadian Chapter of SATW.
In 2020 our latest book The Nova Scotia Bucket list came out and sold very well for Nova Scotians looking for things to do outside during the pandemic. It continues to sell well today.
1. What got you into travel writing?
I realized there was not a comprehensive guide to my own province Nova Scotia and decided I would write one. I was lucky enough to have the first publisher I approached accept the idea and nine books later I’m still with them.
2. What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist for you?
The most challenging part of travel writing is seeing more and more places become inaccessible due to wars, famine or hostile governments.
3. What is one thing [equipment or personal item] you can’t go without on the road?
I have to have my camera to augment what I shoot on the iPhone.
4. What’s your most unusual and/or memorable travel experience?
There have been so many, but my recent trip to the Marquesas Islands on a passenger freighter was near the top of the list.
5. How did you learn about NATJA and why did you join?
I learned about NATJA through the internet years ago and was intrigued by some of the offbeat places NATJA has chosen for its conferences. For example, the chance to go to Channel Islands N.P. made me go to the conference in Oxnard.
6. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a rookie travel journalist?
Find some place or some experience that no one else has written about. It’s not as difficult as it might seem.
