Lonely Planet: Western Europe

Growing up my mom shuttled us between our home in California and her original home in Indiana. By age 5 I was ordering my family around O'Hare International Airport as we changed planes. Obviously the experience stuck as I've been traveling since. I worked as a journalist for many years, covering everything from wars to bars - obviously I prefer the latter. I've been writing travel guidebooks since the mid-1990s and have worked on over 60. I've covered places from glaciers in the Arctic to the beaches of Bali. From beloved Chicago to London to San Francisco to Melbourne. I've lived around the globe.

In writing my books, I try to be the good local friend every reader wishes they have, telling them both what not to miss and what to definitely miss. I look for places and details that you won't find elsewhere, which will elevate your trip way above the norm. And I try to have fun doing it. I hope everyone using one of my books has a fantastic journey, well beyond changing planes at O'Hare.