Allen Cox, a Pacific Northwest native, has always tuned in to the call of the wild, whether in the remote, natural regions of Washington, his home state, or in the line-caught Coho on his plate. He has a knack for finding fascinating stories, both in other countries and close to home. For him, this naturally translates to sharing great destinations, cultures and food through travel and lifestyle articles. A self-described tree-hugger, Allen is particularly drawn to sustainable tourism, responsible travel, agritourism and locally sourced cuisine.

Allen left a 30-year career in marketing management to live his dream. He joined IFWTWA's Board of Directors in early 2010 and chairs the organization's Excellence Awards Committee, which recognizes best-in-field travel and tourism providers as well as journalists. He is the Editor of HARBORS magazine, a destination-focused custom publication, and co-chairs Pacific Northwest Travel Writers Conference, a volunteer organization that produces Travel & Words, the Northwest's premier events bringing travel writers and tourism professionals together, and where he presents writing and marketing workshops. He authored Best Easy Day Hikes Seattle and Best Easy Day Hikes Tacoma. And he is a travel and lifestyle journalist whose work has appeared in many regional and national publications, such as AAA Journey, Northwest Travel, Oregon Coast, Native Peoples, Northwest Palate and many others.

Besides reading his work on Global Writes, you can view other articles on his website www.allencox.org. Be sure to check out his blog www.localroads.wordpress.com, where his series “Nuggets for New Travel Writers” has been well received by experienced writers and those just starting out.

BOOK REVIEW: Chef in the Vineyard: Fresh and Simple Recipes from Great Wine Estates by John Sarich Recently, I had the good fortune not only to acquire a copy of John Sarich's latest book, Chef in the Vineyard, but to experience a guided tasting by the wizard of wine-food pairings himself. Coastal Culinary Center When Oregon's small coastal town of Lincoln City built and opened their new Culinary Center, city planners had figured out that culinary tourism is a prominent star in the contemporary travel universe. They created a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen with TV cameras and monitors installed over a professional kitchen with space for two chefs to work separately, and a large versatile arena for students, diners, observers and competition judges to take in all the action—all this with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. Driving Chuckanut In northern Washington, an old highway known as Route 11 bids a welcome adieu to the rush of Interstate 5 and heads northwest through Skagit Valley farmland. Soon, pastures fall away to estuaries and forested hills rise up out of Samish Bay, breaking the flat delta landscape. Meeting Where Art Plus Nature Meet Coming up with fresh destinations can give meeting planners an enormous headache. While the requirements are reasonable, they usually make the task seem like spinning straw into gold. Cannon Beach, Oregon: Where Meetings Become Retreats It's remarkable what a change of scenery can inspire. A fresh perspective. Renewed energy. Surprising creativity. A sense of camaraderie. Hosting a conference or meeting at a destination away from the office or corporate campus can amount to better teamwork and a pop in productivity… A Bite-Size Tour of Washington's Capital But why would you travel an hour or more south of Seattle, which is a gastronomical world capital, searching for great food? Because some delectable surprises are in store. Olympia is slow food country. Local, sustainable and imaginative are the mantras. The Olympia Farmers Market, located an oyster's throw from the waterfront, is a perfect place to scope out what local chefs are likely to be using.

Many childhood weeks visiting grandparents in Florida and wandering the South of the 1950's excited a life-long desire to travel. Summers spent at my family home in Canada cemented a love for multi-cultural discovery. A year of university in Ireland, nine years working in Puerto Rico, months spent in England, Scotland, Luxemburg, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Italy, the Caribbean, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, and over 15,000 miles traversing Argentina has infected me with the incurable desire to have fun while learning about other cultures.

My educational and career background has equipped me to bring a diverse perspective to travel writing - BA and Master degrees in history, theatre arts and education, certification as a Chef-Educator, and over 35 years in education, chef, restaurant and hospitality management.

Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks: Days of Food and Wine From the moment you drive across the 1931 Bagnell Dam, you know you've entered a different world. The village of Lake Ozark is a time warp out of the 1940s and 1950s, when post-war families packed the kids into station wagons piled high with camping gear. Sweet Fire in Ushuaia You will not find Dulce Fuego in any guide book, and if you ask most locals about this four-year-old establishment you may get blank stares. Dulce Fuego is certainly not on the tourist map and even the taxi driver had to check the location of Calle Cabo de Hornos. When he did turn onto the dimly lit street he had to look carefully to find the house number.

She is president of judges for the regional restaurant awards, Golden Plate, and a judge of olive oil and table oil. She also leads tours to France and other European countries. www.ritaerlich.com.au

Canelés: An Edible History of Bordeaux Lucky Bordeaux: a port known since Roman times, prized for the wines produced in the region that takes its name, revived by imaginative modern urban renewal, and home of the canelé. Rarely is a small cake so linked to a city.

Debi Lander is a freelance travel journalist, award winning photographer and foodie. She is a member of IFWTWA and SATW.

Her website, www.bylandersea.com, displays samples of her writing.

Her food blog features culinary articles, restaurant reviews and recipes from her travels. www.bylanderseafood.blogspot.com.

A Hopi Tradition- Piki Bread Piki bread is the ancient traditional staple of the Hopi people. Mastering the technique to make the thin dry rolled bread is difficult and therefore has been passed down from mothers to daughters for generations. I had the privilege of watching Iva Honyestewa make the traditional bread in her own piki house on the Hopi lands in Arizona. Tableside Chocolate Art at Four Seasons Prague Believe it or not, DNA was the topic of the conversation around the candlelit dining table at the exclusive Allegro Italian restaurant located within the Four Seasons Prague. A decadent orgy of multiple courses, each one a scrumptious blending of the finest, fresh ingredients with a master's touch unfolded. Krakow: Tasting Traditional Polish Foods Given an afternoon tasting of traditional Polish food in Krakow, Poland, I expected spicy kielbasa, hearty whole grain bread and potato filled pierogies. Instead, I lavished in delicacies made from the hand of a passionate chef. Jan Baran, owner of Restaurant Pod Baranum, uses the finest natural ingredients seasoned with aromatic herbs. But the sensational taste comes through the devotion and love that come through his creations. You can truly taste his devotion in every bite. Book Review: The Wine Seekers' Guide to the Livermore Valley by Tom Wilmer The Wine Seekers' Guide to the Livermore Valley, by Tom Wilmer was not written for the wine snob. The book is aimed at those of us who don't understand the intricacies of the grape. He says the wine tasting experience has more to do with the social interactions and having fun, than the subjective, critical tasting experience. Therefore, this is truly my kind of guide-- one with clear and helpful information in an easy to read format. Titanic's Nine-Course First Class Passenger Dinner Recreated in Northern Ireland An exact recreation of the last supper served to first class diners on the Titanic was a meal that left me sinking with fullness. Montserrat Celebrates St. Patrick's Day Mention a visit to Montserrat and you can expect quizzical expressions. Spanish mountain? Massachusetts college? West Indies island? The name applies to all three, but only the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean beckons with shamrocks, sunshine and the still-smoldering Soufriere volcano.

Sherry Laskin has been in love with cruising for over four decades. As a very small child, she crossed the Pacific with her parents from Los Angeles to Honolulu aboard the 18,000 ton SS Matsonia. These days, at least two months every year are spent at sea, reviewing and experiencing life aboard cruise ships and the ports of call.

Sherry is a freelance travel writer, blogger and photographer. Her articles have appeared in many travel industry publications such as Travel Trade, Travel Weekly and Travel and Leisure News and Senior Scene Magazine. Online media include Travel Market Report, Examiner.com, ezine.com, EzineMark.com, eCruiseReviews.com, CruiseReviews.com and others. Considered a cruise and travel expert, Sherry has been quoted in frommers.com, msnbc.today.com, NY Times, Miami Herald and the Sun-Sentinel. She recently contributed to Frommers Guide to the Greek Islands 2010 and has been a featured guest on Frommers Travel Radio Show and CruiseRadio.net. Sherry has spoken on Social Media at both travel industry events, seminars at sea and webinars.

With an interest in regional food and wine, Sherry frequently samples local cuisine and tries the local wine or beer. On occasion, she will score an interview and maybe a recipe or two from the Chef. When there is a culinary class en route, you will probably find her there, cooking, tasting and shooting photos and video.

An avid “surface traveler” since 1994, Sherry has traversed much of the world without setting foot on an airplane. Her “if there's a port I can get there” commitment has taken her to Manaus-Brazil (1,000 miles on the Amazon River), St. Petersburg-Russia, Carthage-Tunisia and most recently nearly 3,000 miles on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from Bulgaria to Amsterdam. Getting to Europe simply means the inevitable transatlantic crossing. Exploring the heartland of Europe means traveling the rivers and rails.

A Windowless Arrival into Charming Portland, Maine Downtown Portland is just steps from the port. While there are wonderful shore excursions into the countryside, I like to get familiar with the city centers. In Portland, you simply exit the security area, turn left and start walking. My biggest decision for the day was where to sample the local lobster and chowder.

Gayle wrote her first book in the fourth grade and hasn't stopped writing since.

Originally from New Jersey (but not necessarily a Jersey girl), Gayle's writing has taken her around the globe, from living and teaching in Ecuador to working at a pub theatre in London. Her writing focuses mainly on experiential travel, soft adventure stories, and destination locations with a penchant for tropical beaches. Her work has been featured at the local and national levels in newspapers, magazines and online publications, including The Princeton Packet, theknot.com, South Magazine, and GlobalWrites. She is also a featured travel writer and humor columnist with the daily online publication, Hipstertravelguide.com.

Gayle earned her master's degree in journalism and mass communications and has worked professionally as an editorial program manager for Forbes and managing editor for a four-color lifestyle print publication based in New Jersey. Additionally, she taught journalism and literature at the American School of Guayaquil in Ecuador where she was the teacher advisor and editor of the school's newspaper, La Iguana. She has been a member of the IFWTWA for two years.

Samples of her writing can be viewed on her website, www.gaylemccarthy.com, and she can be contacted via email at the.saurus@live.com.

Food in the bones: Chef Jean-Stephane Poinard was born into food. Literally. Baptized on a table in his kitchen, fifth-generation chef Jean-Stephane Poinard grew up with an abundance of daily olfactory pleasures in his home, which was situated over his family's restaurant. His bedroom was directly over the kitchen, waking him every morning with the warm smell of bread baking in the oven; the rich, thick scent of sweet, savory sauces bubbling on the stove; or a roast cooking to perfection. Of Latvia and Twinkies You know your country's in dietary dire straits when the instructional food pyramid suddenly disappears like a Copperfield-ian sarcophagus and—poof!—magically morphs into a plate. It's the USDA's answer to the failed Egyptian triangle stuffed with loin chops and yogurt… Angry birds and taxis: A journey through Manhattan Nothing rivals the thrill of riding in the back seat of a taxi in Manhattan. I've parasailed, zip-lined, swam with sharks, and inhaled Pixy Stix through my nose, but all these adventures pale in comparison to the cocktail of fear and adrenaline mixed at the hands of a sleep-deprived, hyper-caffeinated New York cab driver. Amsterdam: Red Lights, Mary Jane and Killer Bicycles I had heard all about the underbelly of Amsterdam prior to my trip: the coffee shops that serve everything but coffee, the women splayed like Cirque de Soleil sex cats in windows in the Red Light District, the laizze-faire liberal lifestyle that's enough to seal Granny's casket before she's ready to sell the farm.

Dave is an International travel writer who has been writing professionally since 1996. Besides his contributions to Dave's Travel Corner, he also provides content for Raveable, UpTake and Odyssei. California raised, he co-founded a collegiate Solar Racing Team which designed and built a solar car from scratch. He runs a website promoting currently undefeated WBA World Super Middleweight champion, Andre Ward, is involved with VinoVisit (a reservation service for wineries) and is a partner in MyVideoVisa.com, a new online personal travel video promotion site.

His latest endeavor is The Napa Wine Project which has taken 5 years to date and is expected to be an initial 8-10 year project that involves wine tasting at all Napa Valley commercial wine producers. He has personally visited, tasted and reviewed 600+ commercial Napa wine producers to date. His first book titled 'The Freeways of Los Angeles' was published in 2010.

Island Escape: The Maldives - Zitahli Resort & Spa Kuda-Funafaru A stay on a private island in the middle of the Maldives can make the rest of the world seem mundane, pedestrian in comparison. Such is the case of Zitahli Resort & Spa Kuda-Funafaru on its own private island in the heart of the Noonu Atoll, accessible via a 50-minute seaplane ride from Male (the capital city of the Maldives).