About Marybeth, National Geographic Author, Writer

Curious Explorer. Award-winning author.

Gutsy Traveler: A woman, like travel expert Marybeth Bond, stands among purple flowers, raising her arms and smiling in front of a wooden building in bright sunlight.
Polar bear tracking and snorkeling with beluga whales in the northern Canadian Arctic.

Marybeth knows travel. She has hiked, biked, dived, danced and trekked across all seven continents – from the depths of the Flores Sea near Komodo Island to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

More recently, she tracked polar bears and snorkeled with beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic, then kayaked among icebergs in Antarctica.

Somewhere in between, four years of studying in Paris earned her two degrees – and a taste for good wine and strong cheeses.

Twelve books (three with National Geographic), countless travel articles, and numerous TV and radio appearances have built her devoted fanbase. She won the esteemed Lowell Thomas, Gold Award for the Best Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Woman on cliff in front of a monastery in Bhutan
Yesterday’s Video below. A decade or more later. Is Marybeth still GUTSY? Here in Bhutan.
Marybeth in Antarctica with penguins, snowy mountains, and water—just the kind of moment travel expert Marybeth Bond would capture in a travel video.
Kayaking and camping near penguins in Antarctica.

Yesterday….

For a girlfriend getaway, or mother-daughter trip, check out Ashland, Oregon. Theater lovers, foodies and nature enthusiasts all agree that this small hamlet north of the California border is a cultural epicenter the over 50-years of staging Shakespeare and modern plays. It’s not a secret any more, so reserve your tickets early.

It's so hard to choose just 2 or 3 plays. I saw Hamlet at the outdoor Elizabethan theater, Roe, a contemporary play inside and Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.
It’s so hard to choose just 2 or 3 plays. I saw Hamlet at the outdoor Elizabethan theater, Roe, a contemporary play inside and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

Girlfriend Getaways

I just returned from four days in Ashland with a group of girlfriends. We stopped on the drive north from San Francisco at spectacular Mt. Shasta. Then for three nights we luxuriated in the beauty of Ashland’s location in the foothills of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountain ranges.

If you drive from San Francisco, you'll pass Mt. Shasta. Why not stop for a night?
If you drive from San Francisco, you’ll pass Mt. Shasta. Why not stop for a night?

Stylish cocktail bars, restaurants, art galleries, vineyards and more than 30 Bed and Breakfasts attract tourists from April-November.

On the go in Ashland

We ere on the go the entire time we were in Ashland, walking around town admiring the quaint Victorian homes, shopping (there’s no state tax and everything seemed much cheaper than in California), and we saw four shows in three days-two in the afternoons and two in the evenings in the outdoor Elizabethan theater.

IMG_4089

Dont' miss the Sat. Farmer's Market
Dont’ miss the Sat. Farmer’s Market

For garden lovers

The 93-acre Lithia Park has duck ponds, a rose garden, lawns, swans on lakes and miles of trails along a steam and through forests. There’s a band shell that hosts concerts too.

Where to stay?

I’ve stayed in a charming B&B, at the fancy Westchester Inn, and most recently at the well-located, grand dame of hotels, the Ashland Springs Hotel, located just 2 blocks from the theaters. Check out the Chamber website for lots of accommodation ideas.

Don’t miss

A morning walk in Lithia Park, a back stage tour.

The open air Elizabethan Theater is modeled on the Globe in London.
The open air Elizabethan Theater is modeled on the Globe in London.
Book stores and unique shops tempt you to slow down and enjoy yourself.
Book stores and unique shops tempt you to slow down and enjoy yourself.
, , , , , , ,

Marybeth Bond