Jill Robinson

Writer, Photographer, Adventurer

articles

A New Book Before the New Year

By

Traveler's Atlas of the World

At the end of each year, I’m usually out of breath from a full schedule of travel, work, and family. While 2025 included plenty of stressful national news, it also had a Goldilocks-inspired “just right” amount of work and travel, allowing me to enjoy being at home, as well. 

I’m happy to announce that I have a new book out!

Recently published by National Geographic, The Traveler’s Atlas of the World covers every country in the world, includes 250 illustrated maps to inspire your travels, and offers expert advice for must-see sights and experiences. I was lucky enough to be among the 47 writers who contributed to this behemoth coffee-table book, and the 18 countries I covered range from Finland to Honduras. Get one for yourself, and gift another to a traveling friend.

Before 2025 ends, here is a list of my most recent articles, in case you missed them when they first came out:

For National Geographic: I talked with Antoni Porowski of Queer Eye fame about his belief that food can tell a person about who they are, and his new travel series, No Taste Like Home. It’s worth catching on Disney+ and Hulu if you’re looking for some culinary travel inspiration.

For Condé Nast Traveler: I reviewed some excellent places to stay near Redwood National and State Parks. The Coast Redwood landscape in California is among my favorite landscapes in the world. If you haven’t experienced this region, put it on your list for 2026.

For Sierra: I covered the strand-feeding behavior of Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, and what people are doing to keep the population safe from human disturbance.

For the Saturday Evening Post: I talked with acclaimed South Carolina quiltmaker Cookie Washington about her artistic journey, her preference for repurposed material, and what inspired her to help keep the craft of Gullah Geechee rag quilting alive.

For the Nob Hill Gazette: I revisited my family’s Alaska summer trip to Tutka Bay Lodge. The lodge, about a 30-minute boat ride from the fishing town of Homer, is a luxurious home base deep within the wild with incredible gourmet dinners and an ideal launching point for adventures.

Here’s to a new year with positive inspiration, the comfort of family and friends, and the opportunity for adventures both near and far. 

Time for an Update

By

Galápagos penguin

The first months of the year have zoomed past, and here I am, catching my breath. It seems that my travel schedule fills up more and more in advance, and it’s not long before I’m booked for the year. I suppose that’s both a good and bad thing. While I’m not at a loss for storytelling opportunity, it’s harder to be spontaneous.

Here are a few of my recent articles:

For Sierra: I covered the decline of the Atlantic blue crab and how a South Carolina native is helping conservation efforts by connecting people to water.

For Condé Nast Traveler: I wrote about how to ditch the crowds on Hawaiʻi island and where to eat, stay, and play on the Hāmākua Coast.

For Afar: I talked about the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood in Charleston, why you should include it in a trip, and what to put on your itinerary.

For National Geographic: I wrote about cycling the vehicle-free 45 miles of historic carriage roads in Acadia National Park.

For the Globe and Mail: I covered last summer’s European river cruise with my teenager.

I hope your 2025 so far has had inspiration, bright lights, and plentiful adventures.

Wrapping Up 2024

By

A few years ago, I started giving myself time off from around mid-December until about the second week of January. I’m not always good at slowing myself down, but this particular tradition has been helpful—especially since many of my editors are taking time off, so why not join them in spirit? It also gives me time to reflect on my work for the year and consider how I want to move forward.

Last month, I received the 2024 Lowell Thomas Silver Award for Travel Journalist of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. This award is given for a portfolio of work during a particular time frame. While I’ve never expected it, I’m grateful for the recognition. If you’re curious, take a look at the judges’ comments on my portfolio, as well as that of the other writers who placed in this category. It’s an honor to be among them.

Before I log off for the year, I want you to know about a couple of my recent articles:

For AAA Explorer, I covered my experience on a Hurtigruten cruise along the coast of Norway to Svalbard, one of my favorite places in the world.

For Via, I wrote about a weekend getaway in Salinas, California. Agriculture towns are some of my secret favorite destinations to write about. I get so much pleasure in talking with the people who grow ingredients for our tables and glasses (remember, wine is agriculture).

Enjoy your last moments of this year and I will see you in 2025, with new stories to report, of course!

Catching Up

By

As I take a brief break from my travels this year, I realize I haven’t sent an update on my work. One of my greatest challenges in this industry (or, really, at all) is self-promotion. I’m never completely comfortable talking about myself, and I usually get it over with as soon as possible.

Here are a few examples of my work this year:

Meet our 2024 Travelers of the Year for National Geographic. It’s always wonderful to work with the travel editorial team, and we selected an incredible list of nine game-changing travelers to influence those interested in making a difference.

After an Injury, I Embraced Soft Adventures for Shondaland. During a trip to Vancouver Island after ACL surgery, I had to take a slower path. It turns out that I’m better at varying my speed than I thought I would be.

Aloha Spirit for The Saturday Evening Post. The new era of tourism in Hawaiʻi encourages visitors to leave the archipelago better than they found it. And, it’s about time.

How I Got Over My Hatred of Las Vegas for Fodor’s Travel. It took traveling with my own wolfpack to let go of my dislike for the city, and enjoy it for what it is.

First-Time Backpacking Basics for Sierra. If you’re ready to move on from car-camping, learn from my mistakes and do it right.

In the Shadow of the Magic Mountain for Robb Report Australia & New Zealand. A new base-camp for adventure in New Zealand lets visitors feel that they have an entire national park to themselves.

Cruise Portugal’s River of Gold Aboard the Avalon Alegria for Nob Hill Gazette. It’s no wonder it seems that everyone is going to Portugal right now.

Beyond the Beauty for Oceania Cruises Your World. The mana of the Islands of Tahiti touches nearly everything, and I felt so lucky to be able to write this story.

Stay tuned for more article and book news soon! In the meantime, if you haven’t yet purchased my book, San Francisco Scavenger, this is a great time to do so. My publisher didn’t include the answers to the clues in the Scavenger series of books, preferring to let each author decide how they shared them. On Thursday, August 15, I’ll post them all. You can still test your wits without referring to the answer key, but now you can check to see if you’re right. If you already have the book and haven’t yet left a review on Amazon, please do me a huge favor and click the link to do so. Thank you!

Renewed Focus

By

One thing I started just before the pandemic, in early 2020, was to reframe the kinds of stories I wrote about. It was always flattering when someone said that I was a prolific writer, but focusing on the sheer number made me feel like something was missing. Instead of pitching stories to get work, I decided to pitch pieces that I genuinely cared about.

Here are a few recent examples:

In Polynesia, tattoos are more than skin deep for National Geographic. As we consider the difference between honoring and appropriating a culture, how should travelers who aren’t part of that culture get a tattoo respectfully?

Three Perfect Days: The Islands of Tahiti for Hemispheres. Trying to write a 3-day guide to Tahiti travel was challenging, but I’d do it again in a second.

A Grammy-nominated New Orleans Trumpet Player Talks Mardi Gras, and What Music Means to the Crescent City for Travel + Leisure. Right before Mardi Gras, I talked with Branden Lewis about one of my favorite cities in the world.

Redwood National and State Parks Guide: The Best Tree-Lined Hikes, Camping, and Cycling Routes for Conde Nast Traveler. Together, these four parks protect nearly half of the world’s old-growth coast redwoods.

British Columbia’s Best-Kept Secret for AAA Explorer. Slowing down to appreciate nature and Nuxalk culture in the Bella Coola Valley—a remote region in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

In book news, I co-authored Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure with 60 Recipes from Around the World. Gordon and his team wrote the recipes and I wrote all the rest. The book was published in April.

Stay tuned for more article and book news soon!