Meet the travel experts behind our top picks

RANDY JOHNSON
Contributing Editor Randy Johnson is a longtime photojournalist whose articles and photos have appeared in national magazines and newspapers. Johnson's award-winning work as a newspaper and magazine editor and writer has spanned the spectrum of travel topics. He's also the author of "Hiking North Carolina," "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway," "Best East Day Hikes Blue Ridge Parkway" and other books.

PARKE PUTERBAUGH
Parke Puterbaugh proudly claims to have set foot on every beach in the continental U.S. that can be reached by car, foot or ferry. He is the co-author of several definitive beach guidebooks, including "Florida Beaches" (Moon Handbooks/Avalon Travel, 2006) and "California Beaches" (Foghorn Press/Avalon Travel, 2003). He has also contributed travel writing to numerous magazines and newspapers, including Outside and USA Today. Puterbaugh, who holds a master's degree in environmental science from the University of North Carolina, wrote a book on wetlands for the Environmental Protection Agency. He is additionally a respected music journalist, having been a senior editor and contributing writer to Rolling Stone magazine for 25 years and a curatorial assistant for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He lives in Greensboro, N.C., but feels equally at home wandering the beautiful beaches of America's coastal margins.

ROBERT NILES
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an award-winning online consumer's guide to the world's top theme and amusement parks. He is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has reported for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. A native of Los Angeles, Robert is the father of two and works at the University of Southern California, where he edits OJR.org, the USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review. He and his wife also run Violinist.com, one of the world's largest Web sites for violin performers, students, teachers and fans.

KURT REPANSHEK
A misplaced Easterner, Kurt Repanshek has been exploring the West since 1985. His articles have appeared in Smithsonian, Audubon, National Geographic Traveler, Hemispheres and National Wildlife magazines. He also has written a trio of national park guidebooks. The latest, the second edition of "National Parks With Kids," arrives in bookstores in April. Kurt also is the founder and editor-in-chief of www.nationalparkstraveler.com, a webzine that follows news and issues involving America's national parks.

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