Sandra Friend

Bowing to a bloodline of adventure that includes explorer Henry Hudson and Lappi reindeer herders, Sandra Friend walked away from a career in systems design and programming in the mid-1990s and headed to the woods. After hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail and getting her feet wet with outdoor and travel writing in Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Ontario, she traveled backpacker-style across Greece, India, and Nepal with her sister and returned home to carve out a niche: Florida hiking.

Eight hiking books and 2,500 miles of walking later, she's Florida's expert on where to take a hike, from easy nature walks for families to extreme adventure in Florida's swamps, with backpacking and camping in the mix. She has visited nearly every Florida State Park and most public lands in Florida. Sandra served as Communications Director for the Florida Trail Association for five years before returning to the outdoors to continue writing and to build up interest in Florida hiking at www.floridahikes.com.

While traveling her home state for research, Sandra became familiar with the backroads and small towns of Florida, and sought out authentic experiences that reflect the genuine spirit of Old Florida, like eating in an old-time ice cream parlor, hanging out at a fish camp, tubing down a spring-fed creek, or savoring an evening in a historic bed and breakfast. Based on these travels, Sandra has co-authored three travel guides to Florida in the Explorer's Guide series and has continued to author books on Florida and earth science topics, 20 at last count, including nonfiction books for children.

An award-winning member of the Society of American Travel Writers, the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Sandra serves as faculty on the SATW Institute for Travel Writing and Photography, and presents writing and outdoor seminars on a regular basis. She lives in Ocala, Florida with her cartoonist husband, Rob Smith, Jr., and continues to seek out authentic local experiences wherever in the world they travel.