21 U.S. Travel Bloggers Worth Following

If being a travel blogger sounds like a dream job — well, it kind of is. Writers across America spend their days exploring fantastic sights in dozens of exotic countries, documenting what they experience and making a living as they go.

But that doesn’t mean the job is easy. Most professional travelers have made impressive sacrifices to follow their dreams, whether it’s by selling all of their belongings, living in small apartments with several roommates, or just living very simply. Superb travel blogging also takes a unique knack for making extraordinary travel experiences resonate with the masses.

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most engaging and inspirational travel bloggers across the U.S. And yes, a little bit of jealousy is OK.

A Dangerous Business

Amanda of the ‘Dangerous Business’ blog. Dangerous Business

The blogger behind A Dangerous Business is Amanda, who decided in high school that she wanted to travel. An avid Lord of the Rings fan, she was determined to visit New Zealand and spent two weeks there in 2005. She has since been to over 50 countries on six continents.

With the hopes of traveling more, Amanda started A Dangerous Business in 2010, but isn’t a full-time traveler. She enjoys the comforts of home — and her beloved cat — far too much. Instead, she created the blog as a hobby and a way to combat boredom at work. In 2015, after earning her Master’s degree in Tourism Management, she went full-time as a blogger.

The goal of A Dangerous Business is to help people find ways to fit travel into their lives. Amanda works with global brands and destinations to create bucket-list-style travel trips, and has been featured on The Huffington Post and USA Today Travel.

Follow Amanda on her adventures by visiting her on Facebook and Instagram.

The Everywhereist

Geraldine DeRuiter runs the award-winning blog, The Everywhereist. Geraldine DeRuiter

An author and public speaker, Geraldine DeRuiter runs the award-winning blog, The Everywhereist.

While her focus is primarily on travel-related topics, she does occasionally delve into content related to dessert and feminism. And she has an apparent fondness for Jeff Goldblum.

The Seattle blogger has been featured in Forbes, The Independent and The Huffington Post. TIME Magazine also called her work “clever,” while The New York Times described her as “dark and hilarious.”

These assessments are evident when you explore The Everywherist, which showcases Geraldine’s dry wit. Check out her Facebook page and Instagram page to keep up with her shenanigans.

The Blonde Abroad

Kiersten is a California native who now promotes solo female travel. The Blonde Abroad

The award-winning travel and lifestyle blog, The Blonde Abroad, is run by California native Kiersten Rich. She left her job in corporate finance to become a world traveler, and has now been to over 50 countries.

Through her blog, Kiersten hopes to inspire people to live a life they love and not settle for anything less. The Blonde Abroad is a multi-level business that allows Kiersten to earn an income through various streams of revenue. She offers social media and marketing consulting, content creation and blog mentorship retreats, and takes all-expenses-paid press trips to produce content for brands.

You can catch all of Kiersten’s adventures on Instagram, where she does weekly Q&A stories on travel, work and personal topics.

Adventurous Kate

Kate McCulley is ‘Adventurous Kate’. Adventurous Kate

Kate McCulley travels the world for a living and documents her adventures on her blog, Adventurous Kate. It all started in 2010 when she quit her job in online marketing to travel to southeast Asia for six months. Those six months turned into five years and she’s now traveled across more than 65 countries.

Adventurous Kate started on that trip to southeast Asia, when Kate began building up her freelance work portfolio while developing her blog. In 2016, she moved to New York City, revamped her blog and downsized her travel, so she’s only away from home about 25 percent of the time.

You can keep up with Kate on social media by following her on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

LandLopers

Matt Long blogs under ‘Land Lopers’. Land Lopers

A self-described former cubicle dweller, Matt Long is the man behind the LandLopers blog. His passion for travel led him to start the blog, but he doesn’t backpack around the world. He lives in a house in the suburbs with his three dogs and has found a way to make travel his profession. The blog name comes from the word “landloper,” which is a wanderer or vagabond.

LandLopers is a reflection of Matt’s experiences, and provides information on many travel-related topics. He strives to make travel more fun and accessible by sharing tips on how to experience the best destinations around the world.

Follow Matt on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Lee Abbamonte

Lee Abbamonte has visited 193 UN member states! Lee Abbamonte

A Wall Street veteran, Lee Abbamonte worked in energy and wealth management for eight years after earning his undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Maryland at College Park, and his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Lee is now a multimedia travel personality, brand ambassador and entrepreneur.

He’s also the youngest person to visit every country in the world, plus the North and South Poles. His goal is to visit all 325 countries and unique destinations in the world via the Travelers Century Club list. He has been featured in or on a wide array of media outlets, including Fox News, ESPN, CNN, Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post and Conde Nast Traveler.

Lee documents his travels on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Sending Postcards

The happy couple behind the ‘Sending Postcards’ blog. Sending Postcards

The travel blog Sending Postcards is a labor of love between a married couple. While they don’t disclose their names, they do share their story. After their wedding, the duo left Canada to travel the world together. The blog was essentially a way to document their extended honeymoon.

The two spent a year traveling around Africa, Europe and the U.S., living in Montreal for a few years before settling in San Francisco, which they currently call home. As they travel to various destinations, many right in and around California, they share their adventures on Sending Postcards.

Hippie in Heels

Rachel Jones left her career in nursing to travel the world. Hippie in Heels

Rachel Jones grew up in a small town in Ohio, where she lived with her brother and parents. When she got to college, she spent two summers backpacking in Europe and a month in Uganda. She went on to graduate with honors as a nurse. After 11 months as a cardiac care nurse in Charlotte, N.C., Rachel realized that a life in the “real world” wasn’t for her. And so, she decided to retire from nursing and follow her heart.

She chose Goa, India, where she could ride a camel and climb a mountain, as her next home. It’s where she’s spent the last five years and where she currently documents her life on her travel blog, Hippie in Heels. She basically lives out of a backpack and survives on street food. While she’s barely getting by financially, the trade off is worth it because she’s been to 30 countries and counting. And she met the love of her life in India.

Follow Rachel and her Indian adventures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Pause the Moment

Ryan lives in Playa del Carmen, but blogs about his travels around the globe. Pause for the Moment

In 2008, the day after his 24th birthday, Ryan headed to Dublin, Ireland for his first solo backpacking trip through Europe. The three-month experience was life changing, and in 2010, Ryan quit his job. He then set off on a trip around the world that was supposed to last six months to a year. His passion for the sun, the sea and adventure wouldn’t let him stop there, and he’s been on the road for seven years.

Now he’s a digital influencer and travel blogger who has spent the last three years in Playa del Carmen, sometimes visiting Greece during the hot summer months. His blog, Pause the Moment, features travel guides and resources for destinations all across the world. In 2017, he started running small group tours to Egypt, which he plans to continue in October 2018.

Catch Ryan on his Facebook page and on Twitter.

Camels & Chocolate

A Nashville-based freelance writer and fitness buff, Kristin Luna runs the Camels & Chocolate blog. Camels & Chocolate

A Nashville-based freelance writer and fitness buff, Kristin Luna runs the Camels & Chocolate blog. She was a college tennis player and marathoner, and she loves to travel with her husband. And while she’s all about diving, hiking and skiing, she’s not a nomad. She has simply mastered the art of balancing career with family and traveling.

Most of her freelance work involves influencer campaigns where she partners with brands and destinations to create original content. She also consults with small businesses on marketing and media strategy. And while she currently lives in Nashville, her blog has been around since 2007, so it’s full of helpful and interesting information on tourist locations all over the world. Kristin has appeared in multiple media publications, including Redbook magazine, Glamour magazine, Marie Claire and National Geographic.

Camels & Chocolate has a social presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Just Chasing Rabbits

Mark and Jennifer Campbell, a married couple from Mississippi, travel every chance they get. Just Chasing Rabbits

Mississippi couple Mark and Jennifer Campbell share their travel stories on their blog, Just Chasing Rabbits. The self-proclaimed “young at heart” duo has been traveling together since 2004, when they went to New Orleans on their honeymoon.

Mark and Jennifer travel with a sense of curiosity, always on the lookout for unusual and amazing sites. They hope to inspire their readers to take everyday moments and turn them into unforgettable adventures.

In addition to giving readers an inside look at their travels, Just Chasing Rabbits also has an online shop full of cool travel-related products personally selected by Mark and Jennifer.

Keep up with the two lovebirds on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

My Itchy Travel Feet

Donna L. Hull (she’s a writer) and Alan Hull (he’s a photographer) travel the world recording their experiences for ‘My Itchy Travel Feet”. My Itchy Travel Feet

A travel guide for baby boomers, My Itchy Travel Feet is the work of Donna L. Hull, the blog’s chief navigator, and Alan Hull, the site’s photographer. The Montana couple has been documenting their travels since 2008, covering both domestic and international destinations.

They have travel guides for a variety of places all across the world, and also have tips and ideas for themed trips like bucket list trips, cruises, romantic getaways and national park adventures. With Donna’s preference for luxury and Alan’s rugged sense of adventure, My Itchy Travel Feet has something for every baby boomer (and beyond) to enjoy.

Follow the couple on their travel journeys via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Be My Travel Muse

Since 2012, southern California resident Kristin Addis has been a solo globetrotter. Be My Travel Muse

Since 2012, southern California resident Kristin Addis has been a solo globetrotter. After working as an investment banker in Newport Beach, she got burned out and decided to make a big change. She sold her belongings — everything except a carry-on bag — and has since experienced amazing global adventures.

She’s hitchhiked across China, taken a 35-day safari to Africa and spent two months hiking in Patagonia. She even became a Buddhist nun for 10 days. Her blog focuses on solo travel and outdoor adventures like hiking, camping and scuba diving.

New content is posted on Be My Travel Muse every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, offering readers ways to make the most of their travels. Kristin shares packing lists, country cost guides and exercise tips for novice and expert travelers from all around the world.

See where Kristin’s next adventure will be by following her on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Local Adventurer

Esther was born in Korea but grew up as a PK in the Midwest. She blogs for localadventurer.com. Localadventurer.com

Each year, travel bloggers Esther and Jacob of Local Adventurer move to a new city. The Atlanta natives decided on a year in each spot because it’s enough time to discover amazing spots in each new place, without being too permanent. After moving across the country and realizing that they hadn’t gotten to know their hometown as well as they should have, they decided to get out and explore.

Esther and Jacob travel full-time but focus on local destinations. They seek to find adventure in everyday life, seeing the world through a childlike lens that highlights the beauty in even the most mundane things.

My Beautiful Adventures

Andi Perullo de Ledesma blogs at ‘My Beautiful Adventures’. My Beautiful Adventures

Chinese medicine doctor and travel photojournalist Andrea (Andi) Perullo de Ledesma is a Charlotte, N.C., resident and blogger who runs My Beautiful Adventures. She’s a native southerner but has lived in seven states and been to over 50 countries on six continents.

She claims to live a very dichotomous life because she struggles with wanting to capture the world on film through travel and focusing on her experience practicing Chinese medicine, which she considers her true calling.

Andi’s love affair with travel can be credited to her intrigue of diverse cultures, roads not traveled and life-changing experiences. During her time traveling the world, she met an Argentinean man, Lucas, who she married in Buenos Aires after five years of a long-distance relationship.

In 2015, Andi had a son, Joaquin, whom she calls her “most beautiful adventure yet.”

Follow along as she travels the world on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Hole in the Donut

Barbara Weibel is the artist behind the lens at Donut Cultural Travel. Donut Cultural Travel

No, Hole in the Donut is not a food blog. But it might awaken your appetite…for travel.

Barbara Weibel is the owner/editor of Hole in the Donut, which she started in 2007. While working in various industries like marketing, advertising, real estate and public relations, Barbara was merely earning an income, but never felt passionate about what she did. She envied people who loved their jobs.

That’s when she left her job and spent six months traveling solo around the world. She had no plans other than to go wherever the wind blew her. She documented all of her travels and blogged about the different places she visited. In 2009, she decided to become a full-time traveler.

Hole in the Donut is where Barbara shares her adventures in interesting countries. She features stories about the people she meets, the wild encounters she has and the spiritual lessons that she learns along the way.

Stay in the loop with Barbara’s travels by following her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Jessie on a Journey

Jessica Festa hopes to inspire you to live your best life through travel. Jessie on a Journey

Started in 2011 by Jessica (Jessie) Festa, Jessie On A Journey is an award-winning solo female and offbeat travel blog. Jessie was born and raised in New York, where she is a certified sightseeing guide.

She grew up traveling, taking North American road trips and Caribbean cruises. While studying at the State University at Albany in New York, Jessie had several opportunities to travel. She taught English in Thailand, backpacked solo across Europe, studied in Australia and hiked through China.

After college, her 9 to 5 job wouldn’t allow her time to travel and Jessie realized that she had to spend her life doing something she loved, not something she was “supposed” to do. Now she runs her blog, offering readers tips on solo travel, as well as blog advice and resources for others who want to start a travel blog.

Hook up with Jessie on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Travel Mama

Travel Mamas is a blog focused on family travel. Travelmamas.com

Moms who like to travel will find common ground with Colleen Lanin, the founder/editor-in-chief of Travel Mama. Colleen is an award-winning author with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She’s also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. She was invited to the White House as one of the 100 most influential travel bloggers for a summit on study abroad.

Colleen’s stories have been featured in Parenting Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Working Mother Magazine and the Orlando Sentinel. She has lived in California, Minnesota and southern France, as well as Arizona, where she currently resides. She shares her life with her husband, two children and a rescue pup.

Check out Colleen and Travel Mama on the Travel Mamas Facebook page and on Twitter.

Solo Traveler

Janice (on the left) and Tracey are the two women behind ‘Solo Traveler’. Solo Traveler

Janice Waugh started Solo Traveler in 2009. When she became a widow and am empty nester, a love of travel fed her inspiration. Her personal musings quickly became public and now Solo Traveler is a community where people who love travel share tips, tricks and support one another.

The Solo Traveler publishes posts that highlight the benefits of solo travel and how to do it well. Weekly features cover solo travel destinations and photos provided by readers. The blog has a Facebook page with over 230,000 followers, as well as a Pinterest page loaded with more tips, tricks and solo travel ideas.

Tourist 2 Townie

Gareth Leonard writes the blog Tourist 2 Townie. Tourist 2 Townie

Gareth Leonard, a former Marketing Director, has a passion for slow, meaningful travel, which he shares on his blog, Tourist 2 Townie. After spending six years working to make other people’s dreams come true, he decided to drop everything and follow his own path.

In 2009, he bought a one-way ticket to Buenos Aires and left his comfortable life behind.

Now he documents all of his adventures in Argentina, as well as other destinations around the world. He gives recommendations on the best places to see, the coolest things to do and his favorite places to eat. Check out Gareth on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.