Max Hartshorne at the GoNOMAD Cafe in South Deerfield, which for five years was a gathering place for locals and travelers.
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GoNOMAD Writer Profiles
Max Hartshorne: A Passion for Travel
The Art of Having a Great Time
"If you approach something with real passion and dedication and think about it all the time, and work on it until one a.m., eventually you're going to succeed."
Max Hartshorne has always had a passion for travel and travel writing and through hard work and bold initiative, he is now in a position to "live the dream."
IN 2010, he was awarded First Place
in the International Journalism Awards sponsored by Cancun Tourism Development for a story he wrote titled "Ecotourism in Cancun: Wilder than we Thought".
Max on Toughie, riding at the SK Ranch in Montana. |
When he's home he enjoys publishing one of the country's top travel websites.
Besides working with writers from prestigious publications like the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Explorer's Club and the UK's Royal Geographic Society, he also helps aspiring travel writers get published for the first time. How cool is that?
Many aspiring travel writers have also gotten their start by working as interns at GoNOMAD, where they help work on the website, write articles and often take trips sponsored by local tourism boards. "Max is great to work with," said one student intern. "He's very motivated and he pushes you to do better."
Getting into the Business
In 2002 Max,
then an editor at Transitions Abroad magazine, bought a travel website called GoNOMAD.com from its founder Lauryn Axelrod who lived in Vermont. At first GoNOMAD had its headquarters in Max's basement, where he worked on it part-time.
Swimming in a cave in Hungary |
By 2005 the website had its own office in rural South Deerfield, Massachusetts and Max was working there full-time, along with Webmaster Joe Obeng and Associate Editor (and cousin) Stephen Hartshorne.
Max got his first editor's job at 21, when he helped start the Portland Chronicle in Maine. He worked in production, advertising sales, web design and editing for twenty-seven years.
His writing has been published in many newspapers and other publications including the Valley Advocate, the UMass Press, and Traveler's Tales Books.
For five years, Max operated the GoNOMAD Cafe in the town where he lives, providing a space to share community, travel photographs and great home-cooked food. Sadly, this venture closed in 2011, after struggling to gain traction in a tough economy. Still, he regards the experience as a great learning moment and a contribution to the vitality of his beloved New England village.
The latest development with the website is their new series of eBooks, called Plane Readers, which provide a portable selection of travel articles to get people excited about their upcoming trips. Already out are the Italy Plane Reader, Central America, Cuba, Naked Travel, California, England, Germany, France and many other destinations. 50 total ebooks will be created for the series-- PLANE READERS.
Travel Much?
In 2013, Max is going to Colombia, Bellingham WA and Vancouver and many other places yet to be decided.
In 2012, Max went to Mexico twice, Oregon, Colorado, Vermont and Jamaica.
In 2011, Max visited Australia, Utah, France, Croatia, Wales, Norway, Maui and New Zealand.
In 2010 he visited the Azores, Manchester England, California, Rhode Island and Yellowstone National Park.
In 2009 Mexico, Texas, Chile, France and New Zealand.
2008's trips included Melbourne Australia, Quebec City, Centre Loire, France, Sarawak Malaysia, Colombia's Pacific Coast and the North of England.
In 2007 he visited Denmark, ranches in Montana, New Zealand's North Island, Bologna, Colombia, Italy, Burgundy France, the island of Elba and many others.
This is a guy who can have a great time in the frozen reaches of Arctic Greenland.
Max also did the "full monty" in the name of travel journalism when he traveled to De Anza Springs, the "clothing optional" resort in Jacumba, California, and wrote the most popular story in GoNOMAD's history: "American Nudist. " |
Read stories by Max Hartshorne:
Getting Naked in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Biking in Mexico City: On Any Sunday
Climbing Trees in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom
Martha's Vineyard MA: Serendipitous Discoveries
and Dockside Lodging
The Coromandel Penisula, NZ
Mount Bachelor in Bend, Oregon:
The Big Mountain We Didn't Know About
New Zealand's Far North: Splendid Isolation
Painting and Dancing on Mexico's Pacific Coast 
Three hip hotels in Plano, Texas
Molokai: Hawaii's Almost Empty Island
Antiquing in Old Town Orange
Maui: There's Something About Hana
Mushroom Hunting and Other Delicious Stops in Wales
Zagreb, Croatia by Bike
Norway in a Nutshell: Seeing the Beauty of the Fjords by Coach, Train & Ferry
Gastronomy and Luxury in the Dordogne Region of France
Bordeaux: A Gleaming City on the Garonne
In a Gascony Palombiere, Traditional Fare and Hunting Lore
Hopping Freight Trains and Living the Life of a Hobo
Snow Basin, Powder Mountain and Sundance: Three of Utah's Hidden Gems
Australia's Great Ocean Walk: Victoria's Magnificent Trail
Australia's Great Ocean Road: From Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles
An Alabama Man-cation: Hunting, Fishing and Big-Time Football
Haulover Beach, Florida: The Ultimate Nude Beach
York, England: Romans and Vikings in The Original York
Wyoming: Viewing Wolves in Yellowstone Park
A Mancation in Spokane: Unforgettable Thrills
Kayaking the Spokane River
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Manchester, England: The North's
Groovin' Capital
Rhode Island’s South County: Quirky Cuisine, Great Fishing
Sacramento: The Leafy, Artsy Capital of California
California's Mendocino County: There’s a Whole Lotta There There
The Azores: Nine Friendly Green Islands
Living Like Royalty at Chateau le Val, Normandy
Normandy France: Ancient Cities, Fine Food, Friendly French
Visiting Normandy's D-Day Beaches and Museums
Nelson, New Zealand: Artsy, Craftsy and Outdoorsy at the Top of South Island
Visiting New Zealand: Off to My Favorite Land, Far, Far Away
Iquique, Northern Chile: Arid Land of Stark Beauty
The Wild Safari at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey
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Cruising the Massachusetts Coast
The New Jersey Coast: Finding the Twilight Down the Shore
Travel Tips: "I Wish I'd Thought of That!"
Beaumont, Texas: Wildlife and Nightlife in the Heart of the Oil Patch
Alabama Attractions: A WWII Battleship and a Movie Classic
Alabama's Small Towns and Downtowns
Ecotourism in Cancun: Really!
Hiking the Alps Outside of Torino
Shiraz, Esfahan and Tehran: An Iran Photo Gallery
Visiting Iran: Ancient Cities, Natural Wonders and Friendly People
The Italian countryside in Le Marche. |
Dasht-E-Kavir, Iran: A Day of Freedom in the Desert
The North of England: Where the British Go on Holiday
Colombia's Pacific Coast: Wild and Disconnected
'Wild' Malaysia: Orangutans, Elephants, Birds and Monkeys Up Close
Sarawak, Malaysia: Adventures on the Island of Borneo
A Self-Catered Vacation in Tours, France
The Centuries Meet in Tours, A Vibrant City on the Loire
Centre Loire, France: An Ancient Valley Full of Fascinating People
Melbourne Australia, Where Footy is King
Sardinia: Notes From a Big Wild Island
Huntington Beach, California: Surf City, USA
Melbourne, Australia: A City of Arts, Sport and Fun
Quebec City's Winter Carnival: Getting to Love Being Outside in Winter
Isola d'Elba, a Jewel off the Coast of Tuscany
Humpback whales up close in El Valle, Choco, Colombia.
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A Slice of Peace in Tuscany's Mountains
Medellin, Colombia: From Fear to Hope
Blogging from Burgundy
Denmark: Compact, Cozy and Well Designed
Riding in Montana Among the Aspens
Becoming a Part of a Ranch Family in Montana
Meeting the Maori on New Zealand's North Island
Bologna, Italy: Conversations and Blogs
Burgundy France Lives Up to its Reputation
Blogging From New Zealand
Blogging Greenland
Kitzbuhel Austria: Designed for the Hiker, Biker and Skiier
Graz, Austria: Whimsey and Green Ideals
The hot tub at De Anza Springs Resort. |
Journey to Mars: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Where the River Meets the Redwoods
Moments in Magyar: Hungary Is Ready for Visitors
Cyprus: A Divided Island Begins to Prosper
Malaysia: A Melange of Three Cultures
Local Guide: Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Are We There Yet? At 46, I Take My Parents to Italy
Belfast, Northern Ireland: Peace Brings Prosperity
Nude Travel, Space Travel, Reality Travel: GoNOMAD's Editor Sizes Up Industry Trends
Against the Tide in the Off Season
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Great Beers, Music Festivals and Art
Ecotourism in Portugal: Mingling with the Storks and Dolphins of the Sado
An expert horseman in Hungary |
Renting a Car in Europe: A GoNOMAD Italian Experiment in Savings
American Nudist: Living the Naked Life in California’s Desert
Cooking In Italy: Being Part of the Family at Mami Camilla
Set Sail on a Tall Ship from NZ to Easter Island
Adventures in Travel Expo Taps Into Hot Vacation Trend
Nature, History and Railroads: Enjoying Them All in Richmond, Virginia
Arkansas Ozarks: A Green and Pleasant Land
Wintering in Montana: Glacier National Park and Whitefish
Richmond Virginia: Nature, History and Railroads
