Jen Rose Smith and Teddy Minford have both published books to some of summer’s most classic destinations. Jen Rose Smith is the author of Moon’s Vermont guidebook (released May 21, 2019) and Teddy Minford is the author of Beachy Weekend Getaways from New York: Short Breaks in the Hamptons, Long Island, and the Jersey Shore (released June 11, 2019).

The two writers sat down to talk about travel, summer, and what it’s like to write a guidebook.

Jen Rose Smith: Guidebook authors always seem to have tricks for discovering great spots that haven’t been covered by every blog and website—what’s one of yours?

Teddy Minford: I’m addicted to Google Maps. I travel a lot (both for fun and for work) and I’ve found some seriously surprising places all over the world just from typing in a destination, zooming in, and seeing what’s listed. For much of the preliminary research for this book, Google Maps was a huge help in organizing, finding “secret spots,” and making a list of places I needed to visit.

TM: What are some of your secrets for discovering off-the-beaten path locations? What was one of your favorite places you discovered using your “secret weapon”?

JRS: My first rule of guidebook research is always sit at the bar! Researching guidebooks means lots of solo trips, and I’ve made some of my best discoveries while chatting up bartenders instead of grabbing a table for one. Service-industry folks usually have strong opinions about what’s good and where to skip.

Like you, I’m also obsessed with Google Maps. Before traveling, I make custom maps with pins for everything that catches my attention divided into layers. Even though it’s a super nerdy way to start an adventure, I actually think it brings a lot of spontaneity to travel. I’ll find areas with a high concentration of interesting-looking things and start exploring there. In between the pins is where I’ve discovered the amazing surprises—it’s how I found Hermit Thrush brewery, a tiny solar-powered brewery in Brattleboro that makes quirky sour beers.

JRS: Even though Vermont’s not that far away from New York and New Jersey, I’ve barely spent time there—what I know about the Hamptons, Long Island, and the Jersey Shore is pretty much pulled from pop culture. Given that, which of the three do you think would most shake up my expectations?

TM: I think people (especially in New York City) have this warped view of the Jersey Shore, which I’d like to blame on the MTV reality TV series Jersey Shore. But in reality, the Jersey Shore is beautiful. I’ve been spending summers there since before I was born so it has a very special place in my heart, but the cool factor of places like Asbury Park is totally undeniable. It’s the anti-Hamptons—a hipster hot spot with a gritty past and this incredible boardwalk surrounded by massive crumbling Art Deco structures. I was so blown away by how much the Jersey Shore has changed in the past decade that I wrote about it for Fodors.com, including some of my favorite spots like Talula’s Pizza and The Asbury Hotel.

TM: But writing about what we love most can sometimes be tricky. Something I struggle with as a travel writer is WHEN to share a place. When you hear stories like the fiasco with Thrillist and America’s Best Burger (which has since been debunked, but still) it reminds you of the power we have as travel writers to either support or ruin a place. Is there anywhere that you specifically left out of your book because you wanted to save it from the hordes?

JRS: I totally know what you mean. I guess I’d be more concerned if I lived in Portland where the burger incident happened, but in a tiny state like Vermont being under-the-radar comes right before shutting down permanently. (For reference, more people live in the city of Portland than in the entire state of Vermont.) Usually when I discover something great in Vermont, it’s because someone else told me about it—I’m all about sharing the love.

JRS: Mini vacations are their own art form, right? When I plan one, I’m torn between my desire to relax and wanting to do ALL THE THINGS. What’s the secret to planning a super-short escape that still feels like a getaway?

TM: I think the key to actually relaxing is to have a comfortable home base. That means different things for different people—it could be a rental with a kitchen so you can cook your own meals, a five-star hotel with a pool and excellent service, or a DIY campsite so you can escape it all. If you have a comfortable “home” on your vacation, the rest will plan itself naturally and you won’t be stressed about planning every minute.

TM: What were some of the weird, wonderful, or wacky accommodations you came across in your research?

JRS: So many! I think my favorite is the Wilburton Inn in Manchester, this old manor house with grand lawns and gardens. The owner is a psychiatrist and a holocaust survivor who turned the grounds into a Museum of the Creative Process—it’s like if Downton Abbey were surrounded by abstract sculptures and towering, gold statues inspired by ancient myths. Vermont also has a lot more nudist campgrounds than you’d think for a state that’s evenly split between snow season and mosquito season; I’m a little obsessed with this nudist bed and breakfast, which I’m determined to visit for the next edition.

JRS: As a longtime editor and writer, you’ve done some amazing traveling for work—has that changed how you travel when you’re just exploring on your own? What’s the most common misapprehension people have about the life of a travel writer and editor?

TM: Before I started working at Fodor’s, I wasn’t really a guidebook kind of person, but now I’m addicted. Now I’m so addicted that if I’m travelling somewhere that Fodor’s doesn’t have a guidebook for, I buy the Lonely Planet or Moon Guide! But I think one huge thing that people don’t necessarily realize is that I don’t actually travel that much. I still have a 9-5 full time desk job. In fact, I would say that I spent more time researching this book from my desk than I actually spent exploring the places I wanted to include.

TM: What was your research process like? How much traveling does a guidebook author actually do?

JRS: I actually do a ton—for my New England road trips book I had to plot a course through five New England states! (Sorry, Connecticut.) Even though I do a lot of travel for work, though, I’d say 80% of the work happens on my computer. By the time I show up anywhere I already have customized maps, a list of places to go, and a lot of research under my belt.

JRS: Writing guidebooks is a dream for a lot of people—it definitely was for me long before I got my first contract. How did this book come about? Was there a specific trip that got you started as a lifelong traveler? What was it about that experience that got you excited to see the world?

TM: I’ve been a traveler since I was in utero–my mom boarded the QE2 to England from New York while she was 8 months pregnant with me (too pregnant to fly!). I was born in the UK and lived with my family in Brussels, Belgium; Warsaw, Poland; and Sun Valley, Idaho before going to college in Colorado and moving to New York. I always wanted to work in publishing and Fodor’s was a natural fit for me. One of the editors I met while there was Roisin Cameron, who later moved to W.M. Norton and Company. She wanted to publish a Hamptons/Long Island guide and she knew I spent most weekends out there, so she asked if I was interested. (I was.)

TM: This book was about a place I’ve visited my whole life, but I often write about places I visit for just a short time. How much time do you have to spend in a place before you feel comfortable writing about it?

JRS: That’s such a great question! I think it’s all about voice. I’m in Barbados right now, and I’d never write a piece that presented me as an expert on the island—but I love reading and writing stories that explore what it’s like to experience a place for the first time.

When it comes to writing about Vermont, where I live, I feel more authoritative. It’s a total pleasure sharing my favorite farms, the best places to pick apples, and great swimming holes that I’ve visited dozens of times. Even so, I occasionally have to take a step back and remember my first encounters with the state, because sometimes as a traveler it’s a blast visiting places that locals roll their eyes about. (The Vermont version of this is the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory.)

After doing the on-the-ground research for this Vermont guide, I took off for South America, and did lots of the computer work while based in Bolivia and Peru. Even though I was thousands of miles away, I found that being in travel mode really helped me to articulate how wonderful Vermont is!

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Teddy Minford is a digital editor at Fodor’s Travel. Focusing on hotels, food, adventure, and art, her writing has taken her all over the world. She lives in New York City. You can follow her travel writing adventures on Instagram at @hello__theo.

 

Jen Rose Smith is a guidebook author at Moon Travel Guides. Her recent freelance writing on travel and adventure has included exploring Ottoman cuisine in Istanbul, a rum road trip across Barbados, and trips into the UN-controlled Cyprus Buffer Zone. Read her work at www.jenrosesmith.com.